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…

The average gas price in Oregon has risen 9.3 cents in the last week. Find out more here.

CHICAGO (KTVZ) — Average gasoline prices in Oregon have risen 9.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.73/gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 1,307 stations in Oregon.

Prices in Oregon are 5.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 16.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has risen 5.4 cents in the last week and stands at $4.65 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Oregon was priced at $3.09/g Sunday, while the most expensive was $4.79/g, a difference of $1.70/g.

The national…

St. Charles Health System announced Friday that four nurses have received The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, recognizing the outstanding, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day.

St. Charles says the nurses — which represent all four hospitals in Central Oregon — are nominated by patients, families and colleagues. A committee at St. Charles determines the recipients.

Here is more from St. Charles

The nurses—who represent all four St. Charles…

Oregon Democratic Gov., Tina Kotek, will focus on affordable housing and combatting homelessness. Learn more here.

By CLAIRE RUSH/Associated Press/Report for America

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s newly sworn-in Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek signed three executive orders intended to combat homelessness on her first full day in office Tuesday, a sign of how critical the shortage of affordable housing has become in the state and across the nation.

The orders call for boosting construction and marshaling resources to help the nearly 18,000 people living outside in Oregon.

Advocates welcomed the measures. But they said that shoring up mental health and addiction services must also occur in order to help people move off the street.

Just last year, Oregon lawmakers…

A new Native art exhibit will be featured at the High Desert Museum. Learn more here.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — For many Native communities throughout the High Desert, what constitutes art spans beyond the walls of a gallery or a museum. Objects are alive, tied to purpose and intrinsic to thriving communities. Art is at once utilitarian and ceremonial, as well as part of the continuation of Native traditions.

Opening on Saturday, Jan. 28, Creations of Spirit will immerse High Desert Museum visitors in the Indigenous Plateau worldview, reflecting knowledge systems of tribes along the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Six Native artists commissioned for this new, original exhibition are creating artwork that will be used in Native communities before arriving…

“Space, Hope and Charity” is a new documentary about a young woman from rural Oregon who wants to study astrophysics. Find out more here.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The new documentary film “Space, Hope and Charity” tells the remarkable journey of Charity Woodrum, a young woman from rural Oregon who overcomes tragedy as she pursues a career in astrophysics.

Woodrum grew up in poverty in Canyonville, where she had dreamed of working for NASA one day, but had never met a scientist. At the age of 28, married and nine months pregnant, Woodrum decided to follow her passion and returned to school to study physics.

Woodrum was thriving at the University of Oregon. By her junior year, she had…

Just over a dozen Oregon cities, towns and unincorporated areas had their status changed from urban to rural, the result of a new definition the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2020 census.

Those places — including Mount Hood Village, Boardman and Irrigon — joined more than 1,100 nationwide, with a combined 4.2 million residents, that are now rural areas according to the bureau.

Under the old criteria, an urbanized area needed to have at…

Bend High School has been awarded a large grant from the American Welding Society. Learn more here.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Senior High School has been awarded a $24,510 grant from the American Welding Society to upgrade its welding program and give students the opportunity to earn an entry-level, Level 1 welder certification while still in high school.

“We are really excited, since this will allow us to provide our students hands-on experience with the tools and equipment that are being used in the workplace right now, and create a pipeline for local businesses who desperately need these trade professionals,” instructor Chuck Hill said.

The funds were provided through the AWS Foundation as part of a nationally competitive…

Gov. Kate Brown forgives $1.8 million in traffic fines and fees. Learn more here.

By Central Oregon Daily News Sources

Gov. Kate Brown is forgiving some 7,000 Oregonians of their uncollected traffic fines and fees.

The governor issued the order Wednesday for court fines and fees that are associated with certain traffic violations that result in debt-based license suspensions. That’s about $1.8 million in fees.

Impacted drivers may soon seek reinstatement of their suspended license through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Here is the full announcement from Gov. Brown’s office:

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today issued an order that remitted uncollected court fines and fees associated with certain traffic violation cases…

The price of a gallon of regular gasoline has fallen below $4 a gallon in the Portland area for the first time in 10 months.

Metro residents are paying $3.93 a gallon at the pump this week, according to AAA. Gas prices have been in a steep decline since October, when metro residents were paying $5.64 a gallon, a record high.

The relief comes as Oregonians embark on holiday road trips — and just ahead of…