Three Oregon chefs were finalists in the James Beard Awards. Learn more about them here.

Author: Sabinna Pierre, KGW8

Among the finalists is Portland’s newest restaurant Kann, Southern Oregon chef Joshua Dorcak and The Burgerville Workers Union.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for its 2023 James Beard Awards in various categories on Wednesday. With many finalists brewing all across the country, several Oregon restaurants and chefs made the list.

The foundation will be announcing the winners at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in June.

Three chefs from Oregon were finalists in the “Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific” category. Two of the chefs are Portland-based while another chef is based…

A southern Oregon ski area will extend its season. Find out more here.

By Ian Wood / Unofficial Networks

Significant snowfall in Western North America means that a lot of ski resorts will be extending their season. KTVL reports that Mt. Ashland Ski Area in Oregon announced they’ll be extending their season by two weeks. Their new projected closing date is April 23rd. This is thanks to a 122-inch snowpack depth at their mid-station and summit, and a total season snowfall of 278″.

They’ve been able to surpass their all-time record visitation for a season of 106,003 visits with 106,762 visits based on their last recorded total.

Andrew Gast, who…

Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the Oscars! Learn more here.

By Linda Holmes (NPR)

Everything Everywhere All at Once didn’t win every award for which it was nominated — it was nominated for 11 and won seven. But it won big ones, again and again: best picture, best original screenplay, best director, best supporting actor and actress, best actress, and best editing.

For a stretch in the middle of the ceremony, it seemed like All Quiet On The Western Front might be coming on very strong, but the pendulum swung back. What’s perhaps most surprising is how many films that once seemed like strong contenders for…

New proposals in the Oregon Senate focus on easing educator shortage. Learn more here.

Original article by NATALIE PATE

Schools nationwide and across Oregon have been facing educator shortages for years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oregon lawmakers are considering bills this session they believe will address the problem’s root causes. Among them are Senate Bill 279, which would make it easier and less cost-prohibitive for teachers from other states to work in Oregon, and Senate Bill 283, an omnibus bill that would tackle retention, pay and several aspects of educator recruitment and hiring practices.

Lawmakers said these bills would address staff and substitute shortages,…

Redmond Airport will start seeing larger planes over the next six months. Learn more here.

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Redmond Airport will be welcoming larger planes this summer on some flights to its most popular destinations, according to airport Manager Zach Bass.

“Normally, we run a regional 76-seater, and what we’re hearing from our airlines, what we’re seeing for the next six months and over the summer, is upgrading to a 737-800, an Airbus A321,” Bass said Tuesday

The upgrades include moving to Boeing 737 aircraft, meaning going from the current planes’ 76 seats to 180 seats. They’re also known as “mainline”…

Construction has begun on the new Redmond Library. Learn more here.

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The new Redmond Library is officially under construction after six years of planning and preparation, officials said Thursday. The 40,000-square-foot library is slated to open in the fall of 2024.

“It’s an exciting time as we look toward the library’s future in Redmond,” said Library Director Todd Dunkelberg. “We have heard the community ask for more meeting spaces, work spaces and areas for both children and teens, as well as more books and collections in general. We are responding with a new building that will provide all of that, plus essential library resources and tools for our digital age.”

A temporary Redmond Library location…

Oregon had the highest voter turnout rate in the nation. Learn more here.

By the Associated Press

For the first time ever, Oregon had the highest voter turnout rate in the nation for last November’s elections.

Former Oregon Secretary of State Phil Keisling, who now leads a national effort to expand voting from home, said 61.5% of all the eligible citizens in Oregon cast a ballot, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Thursday.

“We edged out Maine by .05%,” he said.

Keisling said Oregon has had a relatively high turnout rate since the state implemented its pioneering vote-by-mail system 25 years ago. He said the numbers have really ramped up…

Oregon is launching an abortion hotline that will offer free legal advice. Learn more here.

By Claire Rush of AP News

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon is launching a new abortion hotline offering free legal advice to callers, moving to further defend abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer and eliminated federal protections for the procedure.

The state’s Department of Justice announced the initiative Monday. It is modeled on similar hotlines launched by the attorneys general of New York and Delaware, as states where abortion remains legal have seen an increase in the number of patients traveling from areas where the procedure has been banned…

Smith Rock State Park is slated to get a new, wider pedestrian bridge this summer, which means there will be no bridge access for about four weeks during construction in mid to late summer. The exact dates depend on nesting season and streamflow.

The bridge spans the Crooked River in Central Oregon near Bend and connects the front of the park with many but not all of its hiking trails and climbing destinations. There will be no temporary bridge, and…