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
Friday, March 7, 2025
Willamette Valley Weather
Stay updated with the National Weather Service and NOAA for the latest information on evolving conditions.
Daylight Saving Time officially start at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9, when clocks spring forward one hour.
LCSO Case #25-1104 – Multiple agencies including Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue and Coast Guard respond to vehicle in the McKenzie River
On March 5th at about 8 p.m., Lane County Sheriff’s deputies responded with Oregon State Police to a vehicle that had crashed into the McKenzie River near milepost 31 on McKenzie Highway. Multiple area fire agencies responded as well, including McKenzie Fire and Eugene Springfield Fire. The response was complicated by high water, darkness, and the precarious location of the vehicle, which was stuck on a rock ledge in the middle of the McKenzie River.
Deputies deployed a drone to get a better view of the vehicle and occupant, who was pinned in the car. Sheriff’s Search & Rescue began working on plans to set a line across the river for a rescue swimmer, and also contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for a helicopter. The U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was able to respond with a rescue swimmer, who was lowered onto the vehicle. The driver was secured and transported to an area hospital.
Thanks to the many agencies that responded and prevented a tragic outcome to the incident, including McKenzie Fire and Rescue, Upper Mckenzie Rural Fire Protection District, Eugene Springfield Fire, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, T&M Towing, U.S. Coast Guard, and others. Oregon State Police is investigating the cause of the crash. LCSO Case #25-1104, OSP Case SP25-072348 MORE INFO: https://www.facebook.com/100064882202257/videos/pcb.1041482488024482/1182022206801873
Farewell to Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue K9 Diesel Search & Rescue K9
Diesel passed away this week. While mostly retired after several years of active service, K9 Diesel was state certified in 3 search disciplines, deployed on countless searches, and had many wins over his career with his handler, Caroline. There are many people alive and well thanks to their selfless work. Thank you for your life of service, K9 Diesel!
–Nearly every week, Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteers assist our residents in all types of environments. SAR K9 handlers not only volunteer their time, but also purchase and train their own search dogs. Learn more about our Search & Rescue program, including ways to donate to their efforts, at http://www.lanecounty.org/…/volunteers/search_and_rescue
One Injured and Two Dogs Died in Springfield House Fire
Eugene Springfield Fire responded to a house fire in the 500 block of 40th St in Springfield Thursday Morning. Firefighters were called to the reported fire at 8:45 AM on March 6th. Engine 14 arrived to find heavy fire in one side of a duplex with an injured occupant.
The lone occupant was transported with serious injuries related to smoke inhalation and two dogs were found deceased during the search. There were no other injuries and the cause is under investigation.
Great update from Lane County Parks!
The Board of County Commissioners approved significant changes to parking fees at County parks, making outdoor spaces more accessible to all.
Veterans will now receive a 50% discount on annual parking passes. Disabled veterans, regardless of their disability rating, will receive a free annual parking pass. Households enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program can get a free pass from the Human Services Office where they receive benefits. Everyone will be able to park for free on the eleven federally recognized holidays. Visit the Lane County Parks website at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/parks or call 541-682-2000 for more information.
Hundreds Gathered in Eugene on Tuesday and All Around Oregon Protesting Policies by the Trump/Musk Administration. Protests happened in every state.
Marion County Judge Sentences Lincoln Smith for Causing Death of Seven in Interstate 5 Crash
On March 4, 2025, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Daniel J Wren sentenced Lincoln Smith (54) to 579 months (48.25 years) in the Department of Corrections for crimes he committed by crashing into a parked van on May 18,2023.
Judge Wren sentenced Smith to 75 months in the Department of Corrections for each conviction of Manslaughter in the Second degree, and 18 months for each conviction of Assault III with each sentence to be served consecutively without the possibility for a reduction in sentence of any kind. Smith received a sentence of 364 days for Reckless driving, running concurrently to the other charges. Before pronouncing sentence, the court heard victim impact statements from 10 individuals describing how the horrific incident impacted their lives.
The sentencing came after a jury trial which had been completed on February 5,2025, where the jury found Smith guilty of seven counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree for recklessly causing the deaths of Juan Carlos Leyva-Carrillo, Gabriel Juarez-Tovilla, Alejandra Espinoza-Carpio, Eduardo Lopez-Lopez, Luis Enrique Gomez-Reyes, Alejandro Jimenez Hernandez, and Josue Garcia-Garcia. In addition to the Manslaughter counts the jury convicted Smith of three counts of Assault in the Third Degree for recklessly causing serious physical injury to Jose Eduardo Solis-Flores, Maria Flores-Martinez, and Ibis Torres Rangel. Smith was found not guilty of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.
During the trial, Smith testified he had been up the night before “partying” with some hitchhikers he had picked up during his trip and admitted to using Methamphetamine and Cocaine the night before he was to continue driving on the freeway to complete his deliveries the next day. Tests of the Smith’s blood after the crash were positive for Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Fentanyl. Evidence at trial showed that Smith began to feel tired at approximately 12:00 pm (2 hours before he caused the crash), but he did not take necessary steps to stop and rest and instead, fell asleep while driving his semi-truck on Interstate 5.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys David Wilson and Jessica Spooner. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office wishes to thank the Oregon State Police for their thorough and professional investigation of this tragedy.
Lane County Health & Human Services · 
Crisis Support Beyond the City
Did you know? Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County (MCS) comes to you—no matter where you are. Whether you live in Vida, Coburg, Cottage Grove, Dorena, Cheshire, Elmira, or beyond, help is just a call away.
From dispatch to arrival, our team has responded in just over 45 minutes across rural Lane County, bringing expert, compassionate care when and where you need it. Need help? Here’s how to reach MCS: 
Call the Lane County Crisis Line at (541) 682–1001 (available 24/7/365)
Call or text 988 for immediate support anytime 
Dial 911 for emergencies—operators will connect you to MCS if needed For more information, visit: https://lanecountyor.gov/mobilecrisis
Lane County Sheriff’s Office Earns Accreditation with Northwest Accreditation Alliance
LCSO Accreditation Certificate On January 8, 2025, the Northwest Accreditation Alliance Professional Standards Committee unanimously recommended to grant the Lane County Sheriff’s Office accredited status. In order to be accredited, an agency must meet 104 professional standards with over 400 separate requirements contained within those standards. To remain accredited, an agency must go through this reassessment process every three years.
Accreditation helps agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. The standards cover a comprehensive list of topics such as Use of Force, Property and Evidence, Training, and Fiscal Management. Lieutenant Ryan Wells worked tirelessly to meet all of the accreditation requirements and devoted countless hours towards the effort. The Northwest Accreditation Alliance recognized his “outstanding work….in preparing the agency for the accreditation review. His involvement and yours show your commitment to the accreditation process.”
According to the Northwest Accreditation Alliance, their organization “exists to improve the quality of law enforcement and 9-1-1 agencies in the States of Oregon and Alaska and, ultimately the quality of services provided to the citizens of both states. The Northwest Accreditation Alliance proudly provides law enforcement and communications 9-1-1 accreditation to qualified law enforcement and 9-1-1 agencies in Oregon and Alaska.
The U.S. Attorney General’s Office has designated the Northwest Accreditation Alliance as the State of Oregon’s independent credentialing body for the purpose of certifying compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice standards of certification on safe policing principles.”
Catholic Community Services of Lane County, Inc. (CCS) · 
Shamrocks & Shenanigans 2025!
Lane County’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration returns with Irish Echo’s live Celtic rock, traditional Irish buffet, and full bar. Every $40 ticket supports @CatholicCommunityServices local programs.March 15, 5:30 PM | Marist High School Tickets: http://ccslc.org/irishecho
Emerald Broadband is with FOOD For Lane County at FOOD For Lane County
· Love to help people? Love to win free internet? Of course you do! 
Throughout the month of March 2025, Emerald Broadband will be accepting donations during new customer installations and at our downtown office on behalf of FOOD For Lane County!
All current and new customers who donate between March 1st-31st will be entered in a raffle to win 1 FREE month of fiber internet service! Limited 1 entry per customer donation- but donate as much as you’d like.
HOW TO DONATE:Simply hand off your donations to our field crew during your installation or drop off in our downtown office at 859 Willamette St #310 Eugene, OR 97401 —
OTHER WAYS TO DONATE:Donate to Venmo or Paypal: @FOOD4LANE -Questions about Food for Lane County donations: info@foodforlanecounty.org (541) 343-2822 – Questions about this promo?promo@emeraldbroadband.com
New Code Allowing the Placement of Rental RVs for Rural Lane County Properties
Beginning Thursday, February 27, properties in unincorporated Lane County (meaning outside city limits and urban growth boundaries) that are zoned Rural Residential may be able to add a rental recreational vehicle (RV) to their property.
“We know access to affordable housing is a critical need throughout Lane County,” said Board of County Commissioners Chair David Loveall. “This new code, made possible by recent changes to state law, allows us to open up long-term housing opportunities in rural communities while at the same time providing guardrails to ensure that it doesn’t negatively affect the character of our rural areas.”
The new code was passed by the Board of County Commissioners in January. It can be found in Lane Code Chapter 16.290 (9).
To take advantage of this new program, properties must meet the following criteria:
- Only one RV is allowed on lots zoned Rural Residential in conjunction with a primary single-family dwelling.
- The single-family dwelling must be the primary residence of the property owner.
- No other dwelling units may exist on the property, including a temporary medical hardship or an ADU, and no portion of the single-family dwelling may be rented for residential tenancy. The property may not be in an urban reserves area.
- Rental RVs are not allowed in the regulatory floodplain.
- The RV must be licensed and ready for highway use.
- The RV cannot be used for vacation occupancy, meaning the stay must exceed 45 days.
- The property owner must provide essential services (sewage disposal, water, electric, and if required by applicable law, a drainage system) to the RV space.
- The RV must contain a toilet and sink or the property owner must make these facilities available to the tenant.
- The RV must be located on a paved or graveled parking pad.
- There are special setbacks of 30 feet from the RV and resource zoned properties.
- There must be a rental agreement between the owner of the property and the tenant of the rental RV and the RV must be owned or leased by the tenant.
Interested property owners can contact Lane County Land Management at 541-682-3577 or stop by the Customer Service Center at 3050 N. Delta Highway in Eugene between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. More information is also available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/LMD.
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce has filed a referendum petition challenging the Eugene City Council’s decision to implement a new fire service fee.
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce is challenging the Eugene City Council’s decision to implement a new fire service fee without a public vote. The fee would see Eugene residents having new charges on their monthly bills starting in July after the Eugene City Council chose to implement a new fire service fee in a 5-3 vote, saying the new charge would minimize cuts in the city’s 2025-27 budget.
With projections for cost and revenue, the city budget has an $11.5 million gap, which the city manager and chief financial officer attributed to property tax value and collection rate and state funding growing slower than inflation, Oregon Public Employees Retirement System rates and personnel costs as contracts get renegotiated. Supporters say the fee is necessary to prevent deep cuts to city services, while opponents argue it should be put to a public vote.
The chamber said it believes “voters should have a voice in decisions that create permanent fees for core government services” and that instead of passing a new fee, the city should “create a sustainable financial plan that prioritizes core services while ensuring the city lives within its means.”
Chamber President Brittany Quick-Warner emailed chamber members to inform them that a survey showed 70% of respondents opposed the fee and supported the chamber’s efforts to get a new vote on the issue. The chamber has until March 13 to collect 5,817 valid signatures to qualify the fee for a citywide election.
Lane Arts Council is actively seeking six new board members to join us in cultivating belonging, learning and investment to engage all of Lane County in the transformative power of the arts. Applications due March 9th; details at lanearts.org.
Computer kiosks now available in Revenue regional offices to help taxpayers with free electronic filing
Oregon Dept. of Revenue
-Oregon taxpayers preparing their own taxes can now file their returns using computer kiosks set up in public spaces in Department of Revenue regional offices in Bend, Eugene, Gresham, and Portland during business hours.
The kiosks can be used to file taxes through the free fillable forms and Direct File Oregon e-file options.
Office located in Eugene
1600 Valley River Drive
Suite 310
Eugene, OR 97401-2160
Monday — Friday 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. (closed 12:30 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.)
E-filing is the fastest way for a taxpayer to get their refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund two weeks sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.
“The computer kiosk offers a way to file electronically for those without a computer or those who fill out paper forms and want to transfer their data into one of the two available options to receive their refund sooner,” said Megan Denison, administrator of the department’s Personal Tax and Compliance Division.
Federal Funding Update From Lane County
Lane County is closely monitoring changes at the federal level and any effect they may have on the services we provide to our community. At this time, there are no changes to our services, including at our Community Health Centers of Lane County.
At Lane County, we are guided by values regularly reaffirmed over the past 25 years by the Board of County Commissioners as part of our strategic plan: integrity, excellence, equity and respect.
Lane County continues to comply with federal and state law. Please remember, state law prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from sharing information with federal agencies regarding immigration enforcement without a signed judicial order. Lane County continues to ensure all medical privacy laws are enforced to fullest extent of the law.
Patients of the Community Health Centers of Lane County are encouraged to keep existing appointments and continue making future appointments. For patients enrolled in a Medicaid health plan, all insurances are still available and paying for services. Telehealth services are available in many cases. If a patient has questions about their individual care, they should contact their provider directly or reach out to the call center at 541-682-3550.
As we continue to learn more about how current and future executive orders and rule-making might affect Lane County services, information will be available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/ServiceLevels. We remain committed to improving lives in our community.
Catholic Community Services of Lane County · 
Urgent Call for Donations
Our **No-Cost Clothing Closet** is running low on supplies, and we need your help to keep serving our community! 
We’re looking for:
Gently used or new clothes for all ages and sizes Coats, sweaters, sweatshirts Socks, gloves
**Drop-off Location:** 1025 G Street, Springfield, OR
**Hours:** M – F 9a-12p
Every item you donate brings warmth, dignity, and hope to someone in need. Let’s make a difference together!
Please share this post to help us spread the word!
Lane County Government — Part of being prepared for an emergency is knowing how you will receive emergency alerts and life safety information. Lane County uses several tools to alert residents.
Watch the video below to learn more about those tools and decide which ones you will rely on in the event of an emergency or disaster. 
https://vimeo.com/565852770Sign up to receive Lane Alerts emergency alerts at www.LaneAlerts.org#NationalPreparednessMonth
Eugene Springfield Fire · ESF’s Young Women’s Fire Camp is now accepting applications.
The camp will run from June 23rd – June 27th this year. The deadline for sign up is May 1, 2025. You can sign up on our website at: https://www.eugene-or.gov/2983/Young-Womens-Fire-Camp.
“When It Hits The Fan”: Podcast by Lane County Emergency Management
This month on Lane County Emergency Management’s 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼𝑡 𝐻𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑛, Emergency Manager Tiffany Brown shares essential tips on what to do in an emergency.
Get ready, stay informed, and make sure you’re prepared for anything! 
Listen now: www.LaneCountyOR.gov/fan or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube
About Lane County Emergency Management – Lane County Emergency Management is committed to preparing the community for emergencies and disasters through education, planning, and response coordination. Listen at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/fan.
White Bird Clinic – · Crisis intervention is a 24/7 need in our community, and CAHOOTS, as part of White Bird Crisis Intervention programs, responds.
White Bird CAHOOTS Springfield Coverage: 11 am – 11 pm, 7 days a week (541-726-3714) — Eugene Coverage: 24/7 (541-682-5111)
Starting in the new year, White Bird Dental Clinic will offer more walk-in clinic times. Currently, we offer walk-in clinics at 1415 Pearl St. every Monday and Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. In January, we will also add every other Friday at 7:30 a.m. Find more information at whitebirdclinic.org/dental
Youth Empowerment Programs, City of Eugene
Registration open for our FREE programs.
Some programs are drop-in, so no registration is required—just show up and get involved!
For more information and links to register, visit our website: https://www.eugene-or.gov/4888/Youth-Empowerment-Program
Station wagon set to be pulled from river may belong to Oregon family missing for nearly 70 years
Authorities will try again Friday to pull a station wagon from the Columbia River that’s believed to have belonged to an Oregon family of five who disappeared nearly 70 years ago while they were out searching for Christmas greenery.
The search for the Martin family was a national news story at the time and led some to speculate about the possibility of foul play, with a $1,000 reward offered for information about their whereabouts.
Salvage efforts were called off just before dark on Thursday and authorities said they could not provide a timetable for the removal of the car.
The Martins took their daughters Barbara, 14, Virginia, 13, and Sue, 11, on a ride to the mountains on Dec. 7, 1958, to collect Christmas greenery, according to AP stories from the time. They never returned.
Officials narrowed their search for the family after learning that Ken Martin had used a credit card to buy gas at a station near Cascade Locks, a small Columbia River community about 40 miles east of Portland.
“Police have speculated that Martin’s red and white station wagon might have plunged into an isolated canyon or river,” the AP reported. “The credit card purchase was the only thing to pin-point the family’s movements.” (READ MORE)
Oregon State Parks to hire more than 200 seasonal Rangers, Ranger Assistants
Oregon State Parks will hire more than 200 seasonal Rangers and Ranger Assistants for positions across the state for the 2025 season.
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Hiring starts as soon as this month and runs through about June with new positions listed on a rolling basis on the website. The positions last anywhere from four to nine months. Most seasonal staff work April through September, but some start as early as this month or work as late as December.
Seasonal staff help visitors access world-class experiences and ensure clean and safe park areas for everyone to enjoy. Duties include janitorial work, landscape maintenance, visitor education and visitor services.
Salaries start at $19.78 per hour for seasonal assistants and $23.21 for seasonal rangers. Both positions include comprehensive medical, vision and dental plans for employees and qualified family members. The positions also include paid sick leave, vacation, personal leave and 11 paid holidays per year. Student workers, ages 16 and older, start at $19.77 or more per hour depending on experience.
“We believe in growing leadership from within. We invest in our staff and provide pathways for advancement whether you’re here for a season or your entire career,” said Director Lisa Sumption.
Seasonal staff gain valuable skills working with experienced Rangers at parks around the state. The first wave of openings include positions along the coast from Washburne to Cape Lookout; the Willamette Valley including Silver Falls and Detroit Lake; the Columbia River Gorge and Eastern Oregon including Wallowa Lake and Lake Owyhee.
For more information about current openings, visit stateparks.oregon.gov. If you have any questions or need additional assistance in accessibility or alternative formats, please email Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Recruiting D.Recruiting@oprd.oregon.gov“>OPRD.Recruiting@oprd.oregon.gov.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, committed to diversity and pay equity.
Active-Duty and Former U.S. Army Soldiers Arrested for Theft of Government Property and Bribery Scheme
PORTLAND, Ore.— Jian Zhao and Li Tian, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier, were arrested today following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it, and also for bribery and theft of government property.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
“While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation.”
“These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General, Army Counterintelligence Command. “Along with the Department of Justice and FBI, Army Counterintelligence Command will continue to work tirelessly to hold those accountable who irresponsibly and selfishly abandon the Army values and choose personal gain over duty to our nation. We remind all members of the Army team to increase their vigilance and protect our Army by reporting suspicious activity.”
The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that beginning on or about Nov. 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about Dec. 19, 2024, Duan and Tian along with others, known and unknown to the grand jury conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other sensitive information, and that Tian transmitted this information to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. Specifically, Tian was tasked with gathering information related U.S. military weapon systems, including information related to the Bradley and Stryker U.S. Army fighting vehicles, and transmitting them to Duan.
The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges that beginning in or about July 2024, and continuing to the date of the arrest, Jian Zhao, an active-duty U.S. Army Supply Sergeant, conspired with others known and unknown to the grand jury to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have committed bribery and theft of government property.
Specifically, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China. In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S. military documents and information, including information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Army Soldier and public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for their hard work on this investigation and commitment to protecting our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William M. Narus for the District of Oregon.
“As former and current members of the U.S. Army, Ruoyu Duan and Li Tian betrayed the oath of military service they had taken,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Portland Field Office. “Their actions caused significant risk and damage to U.S. National Security and violated the oath they took as military members to protect the American people.”
“It is unconscionable that a person who wears the uniform of a U.S. Army soldier would betray our country and the trust of his fellow soldiers,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “These arrests should send a message to would-be spies that we and our partners have the will and the ability to find you, track you down, and hold you to account. Protecting the nation’s secrets, especially those necessary to preserve our military advantage and protect our troops, is one of the FBI’s top priorities.”
The cases were investigated by the FBI Portland and Seattle Field Offices and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, with assistance from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Seattle Field Office, CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. They are being prosecuted by Geoffrey A. Barrow and Katherine A. Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, and Christopher Cook and Yifei Zheng, Trial Attorneys for the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wyden Town Hall for Oregonians on March 4th
Senator Wyden: “Rather than attend the State of the Union, I’m choosing to hear from residents in the best state of the union.”
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden held a live on-line town hall Tuesday night, March 4 with People’s Town Hall to offer all Oregonians the opportunity to ask questions, share their ideas and offer their views during the State of the Union speech.
“In this unprecedented time in American history, my top priority is making sure Oregonians from every corner of our state can keep weighing in directly with me,” said Wyden, who’s held 1,105 open-to-all town halls throughout Oregon in fulfillment of his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of the state’s 36 counties.“Rather than attend the State of the Union, I’m choosing to hear from residents in the best state of the union. That’s been my priority at more than 1,100 town meetings. And there’s no reason to make different choices this Tuesday.” —- You can see the Town Hall at: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesTH/videos/1275970573506804/
The Trump administration intends to put 10 federal buildings up for sale in Oregon, according to the U.S. General Services Administration. They’re among hundreds of federal properties across the country “designated for disposal.”
The potential sales come as the Department of Government Efficiency, an office created by President Donald Trump with billionaire Elon Musk, has vowed to slash spending across the federal government. Thousands of federal workers have been fired in the process.
The U.S. General Services Administration has identified more than 400 buildings across the country that it says are “non-core assets” that could be sold.
“Federally-owned assets in GSA’s portfolio that are not core to government operations primarily consist of office space,” the GSA said in a statement. “GSA currently owns and maintains over 440 non-core assets comprising almost 80 million rentable square feet across the nation and representing over $8.3 billion in recapitalization needs. Decades of funding deficiencies have resulted in many of these buildings becoming functionally obsolete and unsuitable for use by our federal workforce.”
The list includes three buildings in Portland, including the Bonneville Power Administration building on Northeast 11th Avenue. Bonneville Power is a self-funded federal agency that manages the majority of the Pacific Northwest’s power grid. It was recently targeted for layoffs, which were partially reversed.
The buildings slated for sale in Oregon are:
- David J Wheeler Federal Building, Baker City
- Eugene Federal Building, Eugene
- James A. Redden U.S. Courthouse, Medford
- USGS Building, Medford
- USGS Warehouse, Medford
- 911 Federal Building, Portland
- BPA Building, Portland
- Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland
- Troutdale Metal Shed, Troutdale
- Troutdale Warehouse, Troutdale
In Southwest Washington, the Vancouver Federal Building is also marked for possible sale, according to the GSA records.
The Trump administration move to sell federal properties did not get a supportive reception from Oregon’s senior member of Congress, Sen. Ron Wyden.
“Given Donald Trump’s checkered legacy in the private sector of multiple bankruptcies and real estate deals gone awry, forgive me if I’m more than a little skeptical when that dubious record gets applied to the public sector,” Wyden said in a statement emailed to OPB. Wyden was preparing for a virtual town hall set to take place at the same time as Trump’s address to Congress Tuesday evening.
“I’m nowhere near convinced this fire sale of federal assets throughout Oregon is in the best interest of U.S. taxpayers who paid for these facilities or for all Oregonians who depend on them for a reliable power grid, a functional court system, constituent services and more,” Wyden continued.
DOGE has also said it plans to cancel 12 leases involving Oregon properties, with annual lease amounts totaling more than $1.5 million annually.
DOGE intends to cancel leases affecting Food and Drug Administration offices in three Oregon cities — Portland, Salem and Medford — as well as a U.S. Forest Service office in Klamath Falls, and the Federal Railroad Administration in Bend.
Search for Missing Child Ongoing
TALKING POINTS FROM COMMUNITY AND MEDIA UPDATE 3/4/25, 6:00PM – Siletz Oregon https://www.flashalert.net/images/news/2025-03/5490/179447/03.04.25_-6pm_Update-_Talking_Points_from_Community_and_Media_Briefing.pdf
At this time, Dane is still missing. Investigators are following up on numerous leads, including investigating various leads provided by our community. We have multiple Search and Rescue Teams and Sheriff’s Posse, along with community volunteers, searching the area. Marine Teams and divers are searching the river. The Lincoln County Major Crime Team and the FBI are also assisting with investigative leads.
How Can the Community Help: Although our teams will continue to work through the evening, community members are not encouraged to continue their search until daylight tomorrow.- Those that are interested in joining search efforts can go to the staging area and check in with the camp host at Elks Toketee Illahee campground at 20590 Siletz Hwy, Siletz, Oregon 97380.- Continue to report information that is relevant to Dane’s disappearance or may bring him home to the tip line: 541-265-0669 — Once again, we thank our community for their compassion and assistance. Our team and the community are working tirelessly to bring Dane home.
Activists call for Oregon to dump $135M in Tesla stocks from pension fund
Tesla shareholders have endured a bumpier ride than drivers on Portland’s notorious unpaved gravel roads lately, given the stock’s dropping value.
Just ask the Public Employees Retirement System — better known as PERS, or the state pension fund.The PERS fund contains $135.3 million in Tesla stocks, which equates to a small but not yet infinitesimal 0.7% of the total fund. Tesla stock, meanwhile, has plummeted from a high of $480 a share in December to just under $300 as of Friday.
That 1% holding (rounding up) has angered local activists, who note that Tesla’s CEO, the billionaire Elon Musk, has seemingly become President Donald Trump’s most influential adviser, and is currently engaged in a purge of the federal workforce on Trump’s behalf.
“We want to liquidate the position now!” a user with the name O.K. Computermeyer said on Bluesky, a social media app that sprang up after Musk purchased Twitter and changed its name.
The post received 1,500 likes as of Friday, and comes as activists have launched weekly rallies outside a Tesla dealership in Portland’s South Waterfront. Authorities are still investigating a shooting that damaged several electric cars at a Salem Tesla dealership on Feb. 20.
This isn’t the first time politically motivated divestment campaigns have been directed at Oregon’s public retirement fund; prior campaigns have focused on coal and fossil fuels.
Treasury officials, for their part, say the fund’s investment strategy is “largely passive,” and bound by state law to maximize returns.
“(The fund) is a large, globally diversified portfolio with exposure to virtually every publicly traded company,” state treasury spokesperson Eric Engelson said in a statement Friday. “Our statutory obligation is to act in the best financial interest of our beneficiaries.” (SOURCE)
Join Us for the 2025 Women in Public Safety Event hosted by Portland Police Bureau. 
Explore exciting career opportunities in law enforcement! Whether you’re a recent graduate, considering a career change, or simply curious about public safety, this event is for everyone—people of all ages are welcome!
Date: Saturday March 8, 2025 
Time: 10 AM – 2 PM Location: PPB Training Facility, 14912 NE Airport Way, Portland, Oregon 97230
Meet representatives from over 20 metro agencies and discover the diverse paths available in public safety. Bring your friends, family, and anyone interested in learning more about a fulfilling career serving the community!
Join us for an inspiring day filled with information, networking, and empowerment. We can’t wait to see you there!
A bill that would raise billions in federal dollars for Oregon’s Medicaid program and allocate a substantial portion back to hospitals passed in the Oregon House of Representatives last week.
It now advances to the Senate. It passed 40-15, with six Republicans voting to approve the bill along with the Democratic majority.
Fifteen Republicans, including Minority Leader Christine Drazan, voted against it. The bill, HB 2010, extends a pair of taxes through 2032. The taxes are a 2% assessment on health insurance plans and managed care organizations and a 6% assessment on hospitals’ net revenue.
The taxes provide about a quarter of the total funding for the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid program that pays for health care for people living near the poverty line. That’s due to a federal match the state can take advantage of in funding Medicaid, roughly $3 for every state dollar invested in the program.
Every state uses some form of provider tax to finance Medicaid, except Alaska. Without legislative action both will sunset in the next two years, leaving a giant hole in the state’s budget. If that happens, Oregon lawmakers would need to reallocate about $1.13 billion in general fund revenue to continue funding the Medicaid program at its current level in the 2025-2027 biennium, according to the state’s nonpartisan legislative fiscal office.
In that scenario, hospitals would also lose hundreds of millions in extra payments they receive for caring for Medicaid patients, which are linked to the tax and its federal match.
The program is designed so that, collectively, hospitals recoup the full amount they pay into the tax. The tax on health insurance plans is, more or less, what most people think of as a tax. It applies to employer-sponsored insurance coverage, and is passed on to Oregonians and businesses in the form of higher premiums. Some of the money raised from the tax on insurance is invested in a program that helps health insurers pay unusually expensive claims. The rest goes to funding Medicaid.
New Exhibition Photographically Documents the Effects of Climate Change on Oregon’s Landscape
A Changing Landscape is on view now at the Oregon Historical Society through November 23, 2025.
— See how climate change has altered Oregon’s geography in A Changing Landscape, on view at the Oregon Historical Society in downtown Portland now through November 23, 2025. This dramatic installation uses modern and historical photographs to visually compare 100 years of environmental change across some of Oregon’s most recognized mountains, lakes, and glaciers.
In the summer of 1920, the U.S. Forest Service launched a three-month expedition to lay the groundwork for a scenic road between Crater Lake and the Columbia River Highway. Led by recreational planner Frederick Cleator, the “Skyline Party” traversed north along the high country of the Cascade Range, with Cleator taking 700 photographs documenting the terrain and scenery.
While the scenic highway never came to be, a recreational trail known as the Oregon Skyline Trail opened to travelers in the summer of 1921. Highlighting the beauty of the Cascades, the Oregon Skyline Trail includes dramatic peaks, glacial lakes, and alpine meadows, connecting Oregonians and tourists to the natural wonders of the state.
One hundred years later, geologist Jim O’Connor followed Cleator’s footsteps and recreated 75 of his Skyline Trail photographs — many taken on the same day and at the same time as the original photographs. A Changing Landscape features a selection of Cleator and O’Connor’s photographs, showing this picturesque stretch of geography, and the ways climate change has altered the mountains, lakes, and terrain throughout the past century.
As explained by O’Connor: I’ve been motivated by the century of change revealed in these matched pairs, and the photographs tell these stories much more vividly than words. Plus, I revel in the challenge of finding the exact places that previous photographers like Cleator have set up their cameras, in some instances probably places that have known few footsteps since his. In this quest, I have been revisiting the central Oregon Cascades for the last 30 years with family, friends, and colleagues, photographing and rephotographing scenes first recorded in the early 1900s, at first to document changes in the glaciers in the Three Sisters area, but also becoming increasingly intrigued by other landscape changes — vegetation, lakes and streams as well as human uses of the high country. But it’s more than just two-dimensional images; the project is enriched by stories behind the photos, especially the interactions among the landscape and people, which I try to bring out with the accompanying descriptions.
O’Connor’s documentation of Oregon’s glaciers is profiled in the Winter 2013 issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly in the article, “‘Our Vanishing Glaciers’: One Hundred Years of Glacier Retreat in the Three Sisters Area, Oregon Cascade Range.” In the essay, O’Connor asserts that “glaciers exist by the grace of climate,” and through a close examination of the history of the region’s glaciers, he provides an intriguing glimpse into the history of geological surveys and glacial studies in the Pacific Northwest, including their connection to significant scientific advances of the nineteenth century.
For those unable to visit in person, the exhibition is accessible as both an audio tour and transcript (with built in translations) through OHS’s free digital guide available through Bloomberg Connects.
To learn more about Oregon’s changing climate, The Oregon Encyclopedia has curated a digital exhibit on Climate Change in Oregon that features entries by regional experts who have spent their careers researching and sharing their work on the effects of a warming planet.
The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is open daily in downtown Portland, from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and 12pm to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is free every day for youth 17 and under, OHS members, and residents of Multnomah County. Learn more and plan your visit at ohs.org/visit.
About the Oregon Historical Society – For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.
OR158, the wolf that has been involved in at least a dozen killings of calves, has been “lethally removed” by federal officers.
The gray wolf, which is listed on the endangered list, was removed following eight confirmed depredations and four probable depredations. The most recent calf killings were in the Valley Falls area of Lake County while others were reported in Crook, Wallowa, and Harney counties in Oregon and Modoc County in California.
In a statement, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said, “federal officials lethally removed an endangered gray wolf, OR158, following multiple unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence and increasing concerns about public safety, and was taken as a last resort. The removal of an endangered gray wolf aligns with federal regulations which provides for removing animals listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act that constitute a demonstrable but non-immediate threat to human safety.”
In justifying the death, officials said the action was taken following “extensive unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence — including range riders, spotlighting, pasture monitoring, fox lights, air cannons, non-lethal projectiles, carcass removal and drones with thermal optics — and increasing concerns about public safety.”
More details are available at the deterrence plan for OR158 to learn more about how ODFW and the other agencies had been working with producers to utilize non-lethal methods. Last week, Lake County Commissioners declared a public safety and livestock emergency in the wake of livestock depredations by OR158. Commissioner Barry Shullanberger said it was highly unusual for making such a declaration.
DAS Office of Economic Analysis Presents the March Revenue Forecast
Oregon’s forecast remains strong
Salem, OR – Carl Riccadonna, state chief economist and Michael Kennedy, senior economist of the Department of Administrative Services (DAS), presented the latest economic outlook and revenue forecast to a joint meeting of the Oregon Legislative Revenue Committees. The quarterly revenue forecasts serve to open the revenue forecasting process to public review and is the basis for much of the Oregon state government budgeting process.
What is different about this forecast? The Office of Economic Analysis provides quarterly forecasts for the State of Oregon’s major revenue sources, including all sources contributing to the General Fund (Personal and Corporate Income Tax, etc.), Lottery and the Corporate Activity Tax. In May of odd years, OEA’s revenue forecast establishes the resource levels for the next biennium’s adopted budget.
The March 2025 economic outlook is much like was presented in December 2024, with optimism toward a “soft landing” scenario but with widening variability in risk factors. Key points include:
- State economy is increasingly bound to national trends for growth and inflation
- Heightened sensitivity to trade tensions given geography and industry composition
- Labor conditions are healthy, but hiring has sputtered and breadth of job creation is weak
- Magnitude of demographic rebound will be critical to growth outcome
Revenue Forecast – The March revenue forecast projects the 2023-25 General Fund ending balance to be $2.59 billion, with revenues decreasing by $89 million and appropriations up $110 million since the December forecast.
In the 2025-27 biennium, General Fund available resources are forecast to increase by $350 million, and revenues increasing by $551 million from the December forecast. This results in a total of $38.2 billion projected available resources.
About the Office of Economic Analysis – The state chief economist oversees the Office of Economic Analysis within the Department of Administrative Services and provides objective forecasts of the state’s economy, revenue, populations, corrections population and Youth Authority population. These forecasts are used across state government, and by the public for a variety of reasons, notably to inform the state budgeting process. For more information about the Office of Economic Analysis and recent forecasts visit https://www.oregon.gov/das/oea/pages/index.aspx.
Oregon Lottery Spotlights Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Oregon Lottery is focused on increasing awareness of problem gambling and safer play in March — also known as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). By participating in this annual, grassroots campaign, Oregon Lottery collaborates both locally and nationally to promote prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
This year’s theme, “Seeking Understanding,” focuses on increasing awareness of problem gambling as a serious but often misunderstood mental health condition. By fostering a deeper understanding of the issue, the goal is to encourage empathy, reduce barriers to treatment, and provide support to those affected by gambling-related harm.
“Problem Gambling Awareness Month is a critical time to highlight the realities of gambling addiction and break down the stigma that often prevents individuals from seeking help. In Oregon, it provides an opportunity to recognize the impact of gambling-related harm and ensure that those affected receive the support and resources they need,” said Glenn Yamagata, executive director Oregon Council on Problem Gambling (OCPG). “This year’s theme, ‘Seeking Understanding,’ aligns with OCPG’s mission to foster awareness, compassion, and meaningful access to care.”
Oregonians can access online tools and connect with free, professional counseling year-round by going to the Oregon Problem Gambling Resource (OPGR) website. In 2024, Oregon Lottery worked with the Oregon Health Authority to enhance the OPGR website with additional resources designed to reduce stigma and reach more people at more points on their help seeking journey. This included a link for free access to EVIVE — a first of its kind digital health app, offering solutions for quitting, moderating, or simply playing safer.
“This year’s PGAM theme really resonates for us,” said Stacy Shaw, who leads Oregon Lottery’s Safer Play Program and is an OCPG board member. “We know that stigma is one of the biggest barriers to treatment, and we’re working to normalize both safer play and help seeking in our marketing outreach.”
Since 1992, one percent of Oregon Lottery profits have funded problem gambling treatment and prevention efforts throughout Oregon. Since that time, over $148 million in Lottery funds has supported those services.
About the Oregon Council on Problem Gambling – The Oregon Council on Problem Gambling is the state affiliate to the National Council on Problem Gambling. Its purpose is to promote the health of Oregonians by supporting efforts to minimize gambling related harm. Board members include individuals from the gaming industry, the treatment and prevention field, the recovery community and state and county administrators.
About Oregon Lottery – Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $16.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery or to read the Responsible Gaming Impacts Report, visit www.oregonlottery.org.
March Is “Home Improvement Month” at Oregon Construction Contractors Board
The Construction Contractors Board (CCB), the state agency that licenses contractors in Oregon, follows a mission to protect consumers from unlicensed contractor activity. This is a time of year when homeowners and consumers plan home improvement projects. To support consumers at this time, CCB is making this month “Home Improvement Month”.
For home improvement month, CCB has created a webpage where consumers can find helpful information to support them during their home improvement project. On this page, CCB addresses topics like why checking the license is important, signs of an unlicensed contractor scam, and how to report unlicensed contractors. Consumers can see the webpage at: https://www.oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/Home-Improvement-Month.aspx
During the month of March, CCB will also offer three free webinars to the public on different topics.
Door-to-Door Sales Webinar: What to Do When the Home Improvement Comes to You – March 4, 2025, 11:00 — During this talk about door-to-door sales, the CCB presenter will explore the question: when is it a scam and when is it legit? Speakers will discuss how to protect yourself from scams and hire the right contractor for you.
Fire Hardening Webinar – March 18, 2025, 11:00 — In this webinar, Building Codes Division will present about how to harden your home against fires. A speaker from the Oregon State Fire Marshal will present on creating defensible space. At the end, CCB will present on how to hire a contractor to do the work.
Choosing a Real Estate Agent, their Duties to You, and What to Do If Things Go Wrong Webinar – March 27, 2025, 11:00 — This presentation will feature a speaker from Oregon’s Real Estate Agency (REA), providing tips for choosing an agent and what to do when things go wrong. At the end, CCB will present on working with contractors to repair a home during the buying and selling process.
Anyone who would like to attend can register on CCB’s Home Improvement Month webpage.
“Empowering consumers through education is a core mission of the CCB,” said Chris Huntington, CCB Administrator. “CCB’s Home Improvement Month line-up of educational webinars and resources are designed to help consumers go into a construction project with the knowledge they need to help them protect their most valuable investment.”
### About the CCB – The CCB is the state agency licensing over 42,000 contractor businesses. Anyone who is paid to repair, improve or build a home must be licensed. Learn more about how to have a successful project at www.oregon.gov/ccb.
Oregon has thousands of federal jobs across the state, and state economists are shedding light on what areas will be hit the hardest amid federal layoffs. In the first quarter of 2024, Oregon had a total of 28,750 federal jobs and the sector made up 1.5% of the state’s employment.
While it remain unclear how many job and which agencies would see cuts due to the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back government spending, impacts of job revenue loss may be felt more heavily in rural areas according to a report from Oregon State Employment Economist.
The report notes that across Oregon, federal jobs pay 36% more than the average wages, but the gap is even more pronounced in rural areas. It is unclear which agencies would be impacted, the memo excludes the US Postal Service, the Military and Federal Law Enforcement. It directs agencies or components that provide direct services to citizens (such as Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ health care) to delay implementation of staff cuts until the plans are approved.
Though the Oregon Employment Department does not have a count of how many federal workers have applied for unemployment benefits so far, they’re tracking and preparing.
In Oregon, there are more than 29,000 people in the state who work for the federal government — including 7,000 in the U.S. Postal Service; 6,400 in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and 3,400 in the U.S. Forest Service. Department leaders say they are ready to help, no matter how Oregonians lose their jobs. The earliest the department thinks it will see those numbers will be in late March.
The Oregon Employment Department will also be looking for other workers affected by funding cuts in groups that rely on federal dollars, like researchers at universities and other organizations. But specifically for federal workers, there is a page on the Oregon Employment Department website meant to help them go through the process if they lose their jobs.
ODF proposes revised state forest implementation plans, opens 30-day comment period
SALEM, Ore.–The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) opens a 30-day comment period on proposed Implementation Plan revisions for the Astoria, Forest Grove, Tillamook, North Cascade, West Oregon, and Western Lane (including the Veneta and Southwest units) state forest districts. Implementation plans describe forest management activities such as timber harvest targets, road construction and maintenance, reforestation and young stand management, recreation, aquatic habitat restoration and protection strategies for species of concern.
The comment period begins Feb. 20 and ends March 21 at 5 p.m. The implementation plans are available on ODF’s website. Comments can be submitted online by using this form, emailing ODF.SFComments@oregon.gov, or mailing comments to ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310.
State forests by law must provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians, and are managed under long-range forest management plans, mid-range implementation plans, and annual operations plans.
At the direction of the Board of Forestry, ODF is continuing the development of a draft Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan and Forest Management Plan for Western Oregon State Forests. The draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is currently going through the National Environmental Policy Act process. Finalization of this process and issuance of Incidental Take Permits is expected to occur within fiscal year 2026. Revising the current implementation plans allows the agency to continue operations during this time of transition and further align with the draft HCP while focusing resources on developing a new forest management plan and accompanying implementation plans required to implement the draft HCP.
The revisions to the current Implementation Plans include new information on the district land base and forest resources, updated Species of Concern strategies and associated Forest Land Management Classification map, clarified timber harvest target descriptions, and changes to the mapped landscape design of the desired future condition. These changes align with Division policy, current Forest Management Plans and draft HCP objectives. In order to cover the HCP approval timeline, the new Forest Management Plan and new Implementation Plan development timelines, the revised Implementation Plans have been extended through June 30, 2027.
Registration is closing soon for the Bob Ross-inspired Happy Little (Virtual) 5K
Oregon Parks Forever — Inspired by American painter and PBS television personality Bob Ross’ love of the outdoors, Oregon Parks Forever is sponsoring a virtual 5K race to help plant trees in Oregon’s parks & forests. Registration is now open for the 2025 Run for the Trees at www.orparksforever.org.
Inspired by American painter and PBS television personality Bob Ross’ love of the outdoors, Oregon Parks Forever is sponsoring a virtual 5K race to help plant trees in Oregon’s parks & forests. You must register by April 1st in order to get your shirts and medal before the event.
Participants can walk, run, paddle or roll to complete their 5K anywhere outdoors anytime between April 19 and 27 (covering Earth Day and Arbor Day). Participants are encouraged to register by April 1 to ensure that your swag arrives before the event week. If you register after April 1, you may not receive your swag before race week. Registration will close on April 15.
For $36 per person, each participant will receive a keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, a commemorative bib number and a finisher’s medal. All Oregon race proceeds support tree planting and forest protection efforts in Oregon parks. Ten trees will be planted in Oregon for each registration. This year, the trees will be planted in the Santiam Canyon.
Initially, the “Happy Little Trees” program began with a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Bob Ross Inc., with hundreds of volunteers helping to plant “happy little trees” at locations hard-hit by invasive pests and tree diseases. The partnership quickly expanded to include the Run for the Trees / Happy Little (Virtual) 5K.
As the Happy Little 5K gained popularity, more states have joined the effort. Now in its fifth year, the Happy Little 5K has expanded its reach to include eleven other states. Together, Michigan, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia and Tennessee will “lock arms” as they help raise awareness and funding for stewardship efforts in each state’s parks.
“We are thrilled to partner with Bob Ross, Inc. and these other eleven states on the Happy Little 5K concept as a way to honor the late Bob Ross and create a legacy event to plant trees,” said Seth Miller, Executive Director of Oregon Parks Forever.”
Oregon Parks Forever is joining this event as an expansion of our efforts to fund the replanting of trees killed by wildfires, heat domes and invasive insects. Over the past two years, Oregon Parks Forever has been able to fund the replanting of more than 800,000 trees across Oregon.
“The official Bob Ross 5K is probably our most favorite initiative,” says Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Company. “It’s the perfect blend of everything Bob held dear; nature, taking care of the environment, and happy trees too of course. He would have been so pleased to see how it’s getting so popular around the world.”
Learn more about the program at www.orparksforever.org.
Oregon’s Missing Persons
Many times you’ll see postings without case numbers or police contact. There is rarely a nefarious reason why (the nefarious ones are pretty obvious). Usually the loved one tried to call to report their missing person and they are either refused or told to wait a day or two by people who are unaware of SB 351 and the laws that they are bound to when answering the phone. Many people don’t bother calling LE if their loved one is homeless or in transition because they believe LE won’t care. The biggest myth is the 24 hour rule.
In Oregon we don’t have those rules and an officer or person answering the phone is not allowed to decide. The law decides. We have Senate Bill 351 and it states that the police CANNOT refuse a request for any reason and they must begin working on it within 12 hours. The person making the report does not have to be related to missing person either.
Here is SB 351 written by families of the missing here in Oregon in conjunction with Oregon law enforcement officers. This should be common knowledge, please make it this way. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/…/SB351/Introduced
Oregon State Police are reminding parents and students of the SafeOregon hotline.
It takes reports of potential threats against students and schools. The tips can be made anonymously. They can include safety threats, fights, drugs, weapons on campus, cyberbullying and students considering self-harm or suicide. A technician reviews the reports and assigns them either to police or school administrators. Tips can be made by phone, text, email or on the website https://www.safeoregon.com
