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Cascade Lakes Highway will close Nov. 21
Cascade Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Highway are scheduled to close on Tuesday November 21st. Learn more from KTVZ here.
SEE THE ENTIRE KTVZ ARTICLE HERE
“Road closure at Fishing Bridge Junction” by YellowstoneNPS is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.
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New, wider footbridge at Smith Rock State Park ready to welcome hikers, climbers
The new wooden walk bridge at Smith Rock is open! Learn more here.
After a 2-month closure for the replacement project, a new, wider footbridge is ready to welcome climbers and hikers at Smith Rock State Park. Another project underway is a new helipad for medical personnel, in case of emergencies.
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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 2nd Annual Kendall Soap Box Derby is Back!
Looking for some good clean fun this weekend? The 2nd Annual Kendall Auto Soapbox Derby is back! This year it will be held at River’s Edge Golf Course, this Saturday, from 2-6:30PM. The event features traditional Soapbox Derby racing with the added competitive criteria of “crowd judging” in combination with time trials. There will be a Soapbox Car Show, Food Vendors, Beer, and even a long put competition! The 2nd Annual Kendall Auto Soapbox Derby is designed to raise money for many of Central Oregons most valuable non-profits. Kendall Auto has invited local businesses & nonprofit organizations, high school teams, and beyond to participate in this fun event benefiting our local charities.Kendall Cares will be donating up to $10,000 between the top 3 teams (Up to $5000 for 1st, up to $3000 for 2nd, and up to $2000 for 3rd)*. Teams are required to choose a beneficiary that they will donate 50% of their winnings to, and can choose to keep or donate the other 50%. -
After rain, campfires now allowed in most places across Oregon
You can now have a campfire in most places across Oregon. Learn more here.Heavy rain over the past week has dropped fire danger and returned the ability to have a campfire in most places across the state.All national forests on the state’s west side lifted “public use restrictions” over the past week, which in effect means that campfires and other activities, such as operating chainsaws and driving ATVs, are allowed.
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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 opens applications for new paid family leave program
Oregon’s new paid family leave program begins in September. Learn more here.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Oregon’s new paid family leave program opened for applications Monday, following four years of preparation — disrupted by COVID — after the Legislature authorized it in 2019 with bipartisan support.
Why it matters: Lack of paid family leave often forces workers to choose between paying the bills and caring for a loved one.
State of play: The program allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a new child, a seriously ill family member or their own health or personal safety. It will cover the entire paycheck of a minimum wage worker and scales down as income climbs.
- Oregon is now one of a dozen states where most workers will have this benefit regardless of employer.
- It’s one of five that include “affinity” relationships in the definition of family.
How it works: Both employees and employers have been paying into the Paid Leave Oregon fund since the beginning of this year. Sept. 3 is the earliest that benefits can start.
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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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