“Area of known wolf activity” has been established in the Northern Cascades. Learn more here.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has designated a new area in the northern Oregon Cascades as an “area of known wolf activity” where a family of wolves has established itself.

The agency made the announcement Monday in a news release.

Biologists with the Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs found two wolves in the new area in December 2021 on the tribe’s reservation in Jefferson and Waco counties.

No one saw any wolf pups until August of this year, when a trail camera captured them.

ODFW said that proved the wolves had established themselves in the area and…

Landlords in Oregon may legally increase rents by up to 14.6% at the start of the new year. Learn more here.

In a state with one of the most challenging housing crunches in the country, Oregon renters could face the highest possible maximum increase since the Legislature enacted limits on rent hikes three years ago.

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, landlords in Oregon may legally increase rents by up to 14.6%. This year, the cap is 9.9% – marking a 4.7 percentage point jump from one year to the next.

According to apartment rental company Zumper, the average rent as of Tuesday for a 1-bedroom residence in…

Oregon is the first state to receive aid for mobile mental-health units. Learn more here.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced financial support for expansion of mobile mental-health crisis intervention units in Oregon, the first state to receive the aid.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said prioritizing behavioral health treatment by putting crisis care in reach for more Americans is critical, in Oregon and beyond.

He encouraged all states to take advantage of this opportunity.

The new Medicaid-supported plan will allow Oregon to provide community-based stabilization services to individuals experiencing mental health…

Closures on Highway 20 will temporarily limit travel between Central Oregon and the valley. Learn more here.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is warning drivers of an upcoming closure of U.S. Highway 20 between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon. A three-mile section about 27 miles east of Sweet Home and 19 miles west of Santiam Junctions will be closed to traffic from Sept. 9 to Sept. 22.

During the shutdown, crews will build a retaining wall and repair damage caused by a landslide. The detours are lengthy and involve either Oregon Highway 22 to the north, or Oregon Highway 126 to the south. Both detour routes re-join Highway 20 just…

A 12-year-old girl from La Grande is the World Elk Calling Champion! Learn more here.

Elk sounds vary from grunts, screams and coos to something like an excited chimpanzee – a sound human elk callers refer to as “chuckling.” None of it sounds like something that would emanate from a 12-year-old girl. But the new, youngest ever Women’s World Elk Calling Champion is Ella Lees, a middle schooler from La Grande.

She won the title in July at the Utah competition put on by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a conservation and hunting organization.

The annual event brings together the best callers from around the globe, though most…

Average gas prices fall 11.3 cents per gallon. Learn more here.

CHICAGO (KTVZ) — Average gasoline prices in Oregon have fallen 11.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $5.05/gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 1,307 stations in Oregon.

Prices in Oregon are 42.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand $1.34/g higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has declined 14.8 cents in the last week and stands at $5.27 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Oregon was priced at $4.35/g Sunday while the most expensive was $5.81/g, a difference of $1.46/g.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 15.9 cents per gallon…

Oregon is the first state on the West Coast to be approved for a state meat inspection program. Learn more here.

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon on Thursday became the first state on the West Coast approved to operate a state meat inspection program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) just finalized a cooperative agreement with the Oregon Department of Agriculture to launch the program, aimed at providing economic opportunity and resilience for Oregon’s livestock producers.

The agreement grants ODA the authority to inspect meat products produced for shipment within the state. Under the agreement, Oregon’s program must develop, administer, and enforce requirements “at least equal to” those imposed under the Federal Meat…

The average gas price has fallen 7 cents a gallon. Learn more here.

CHICAGO (KTVZ) — The average gasoline price in Oregon has fallen 7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $5.39 a gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 1,307 stations in Oregon. Prices in Oregon are 11.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, but still stand $1.74/g higher than a year ago.

The national average price of diesel has declined 8.5 cents in the last week and stands at $5.65 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Oregon was priced at $4.69/g Sunday while the most expensive was $6.69/g, a difference of $2.00/g.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 12.8…

The Oregon Employment Department has officially set the rates that employers and employees will have to pay for the state’s new paid family and medical leave program.

Starting in January, workers will pay 0.6% every paycheck and employers will pay 0.4%, the state decided.

“For example, if an employee made $1,000 in wages, the employee would pay $6 and the employer would pay $4 for this paycheck,” the Employment Department said in a press release.

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