A group of volunteer advisors to the Oregon Health Authority has voted Tuesday to make the state the third in the nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program.
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Oregon approved to issue another $43 million in Pandemic EBT food aid to 99,000 young children
Oregon will issue more Pandemic EBT food for young children. Find out more here.
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Department of Human Services will be issuing additional food benefits for young children whose families received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between Sept. 1 2022 and May 11, 2023.
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Oregon DMV now offers testing from anywhere with Internet access
You can now take your DMV knowledge test online. Learn more here.
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced on Wednesday that customers can take their DMV knowledge test anywhere with reliable internet access.
The DMV said that with this change those needing to take the test no longer need to go to a DMV office but can instead test online with a computer equipped with a webcam, keyboard, and mouse. This online testing service is now part of the agency’s growing menu of available services available at DMV2U.
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Collective Soul Live & Outdoors This Thursday Evening!
A perfect fall evening in Bend with Collective Soul. What could be better?
The Kendall Toyota of Bend Concert Series is proud to bring you Collective Soul. The iconic post grunge 90’s band will be live and outdoors, THIS THURSDAY EVENING, at Century Center on Bend’s Westside, playing all their hits like:
Tickets are locally priced just $45 and on sale now at Bendticket.com . Part of the Kendall Toyota of Bend Concert Series. Produced by BackyardMedia.
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The West is Burning Documentary Screening
See the screening for a new documentary, The West is Burning. Learn more here.
Article and photograph by Cascade Business News
The West is Burning examines the history of forest management and social conflict that has contributed to current forest conditions, causing longer fire seasons and unprecedented destruction. The film emphasizes the need to act now to generate positive change in our forests, watersheds, and communities. Click here to watch a trailer of the film.
SEE THE ENTIRE ORIGINAL CBN ARTICLE HERE
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Oregon becomes 3rd in nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program
Oregon is seeking fed approval for a basic health program. Learn more here.
Article by Oregon Public Broadcasting (By Amelia Templeton (OPB)) – SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE
OHA advisors say yes to free health care for adults at 138-200% of the poverty level
Article by Oregon Public Broadcasting (By Amelia Templeton (OPB)) – SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE
Photo Credits: The emergency wing of the Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Northwest Portland on July 28, 2023. Caden Perry / OPB
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The Once Barren Lower Black Butte Swamp Harbors Abundant Life Once Again
September 5, 2023, The Nugget Newspaper, Article and photo by Cody Rheault
A Wildlife Restoration Success Story
One year ago, the Sisters Ranger District began their efforts to restore the lower swamp just southeast of the Black Butte Ranch. The beaver once sustained water levels by dams, but trapping and predation contributed to the beaver’s disappearance from the area, leaving the fragile ecosystem to its own devices. The land dried up. Indian Ford Creek narrowed to a trickle. Willows and birch disappeared …
Read the full article here in The Nugget Newspaper
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California sending five strike teams to boost firefighting capacity in Oregon
Image Courtesy Bedrock Fire 2023 Facebook
Learn more here:
KVAL, SALEM, Ore. – Five CalOES strike teams are headed to Oregon to provide additional capacity as the state deals with a continued forecast of triple-digit temperatures, extreme fire danger, and forecasted lightning, the Oregon State Fire Marshal said.
The strike teams are able to mobilize to Oregon after the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) made the request Monday through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
The strike teams will be pre-positioned in the Willamette Valley to be available to support existing wildfires or any new fire starts that break out.
“With several fires burning on the west slope of the Cascades and the fire danger increasing by the hour, our agency has decided to take the proactive step to bring in additional capacity to support the Oregon fire service,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We are thankful for our strong and storied partnership with CalOES and the California fire service. We work extremely well together and offer each other support when our communities are impacted by wildfire and other disasters.”
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Gov. Kotek signs six bills aimed at addressing Oregon's mental health, addiction issues
Gov. Kotek signed bills that will address Oregon’s mental health. Learn more here.
KGW8, SALEM, Ore. — Gov. Tina Kotek vowed to make meaningful strides for behavioral health in Oregon on Tuesday. She signed into law six bills that aim to strengthen the state’s response to mental health and substance abuse issues.
“The bills I am signing mark progress towards building a behavioral health continuum of care that incorporates harm reduction, suicide prevention, stronger tools against substance abuse among youth and adults, and improvements to the implementation of Measure 110,” Kotek said to a group of lawmakers and advocates.
Among the bills signed into law, two focus on preventing overdose deaths. House Bill 2395expands the access of short-acting opioid overdose reversal medications like Narcan and naloxone, making them more readily available in public buildings, stores, police departments and schools.
The second bill, Senate Bill 1043, requires hospitals, sobering and detox facilities to provide two doses of opioid overdose reversal medication to patients when they’re discharged.
“The goal is to help people be healthy and stay alive,” Kotek said.
Then there’s the bill to fix issues with Measure 110, or HB 2513. The governor’s office said it will strengthen Measure 110 by increasing staffing and improving application processes to speed up approval and get funds out the door, centralizing the support hotline to get people connected to services more efficiently, and improving program data collection and accuracy.
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Archaeologists find new evidence in Southern Oregon that suggests human habitation 18,000 years ago
New evidence suggests humans were in Oregon more than 18,000 years ago.
Photo Courtesy of Becky Raines / University of Oregon
By Ella Hutcherson (Jefferson Public Radio)
Archaeologists have new evidence suggesting that humans occupied Oregon more than 18,000 years ago. This makes it one of the oldest known sites of human occupation in North America.
A 2023 radiocarbon dating analysis was made based on findings at the Rimrock Draw Rockshelter near Burns, Oregon. The University of Oregon Archaeological Field School has been excavating at the site, which features a shallow overhang in an otherwise open environment. The field school has been working in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management since 2011.
UO staff archaeologist Patrick O’Grady said in 2012 the team found telling objects — camel tooth enamel fragments and a human-made tool — deep in the rock shelter, buried underneath the ash of a Mt. St. Helens eruption from over 15,000 years ago.
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Minimum wage changes in Oregon on July 1
The minimum wage is set to increase July 1st. Learn more here.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Anyone who works a minimum wage job in Oregon will get a raise starting July 1.
In all parts of the state, the minimum wage will increase. However, in Oregon, the minimum wage is not equal across the state.
Oregon’s minimum wage is divided into three areas: the Portland metro area, the “standard” area, and the non-urban area.
In the Portland metro area, minimum wage will top $15 per hour for the first time. On July 1, 2023 it will jump from $14.75 to $15.45 per hour.
The standard minimum wage will increase from $13.50 to $14.20.
The non-urban minimum wage will increase from $12.50 to $13.20.