Oregon’s reservoirs are being replenished by melting snowpack. Find out more here.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — This year’s abundant snowpack is quickly melting away in the spring sun, flushing Oregon’s rivers and streams with fresh water and replenishing the state’s previously parched reservoirs.

Depleted by years of “extreme” and “exceptional” drought, water supplies at reservoirs like Lake Owyhee in Malheur County have doubled and even tripled in volume in the past two months. Oregon state climatologist Larry O’Neill told KOIN 6 News that the recovery is largely thanks to the melting snow. Spring thunderstorms have also helped pump water into Oregon’s reservoirs in recent weeks.

“The snowpack was the key reason, in a broad sense, why…

OSU will operate a new oceanographic research vessel based out of Newport. Learn more here.

By OSU

HOUMA, La. – The first of three new oceanographic research vessels dedicated to advancing marine science along U.S. coasts was successfully launched Thursday.

The ship, R/V Taani, is being constructed as part of a project, led by Oregon State University and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, to provide scientists with valuable new tools to study critical issues such as rapidly changing ocean conditions and human impacts on the marine environment.

The Regional Class Research Vessel project, supported by more than $390 million in grants, is charged with delivering three nearly identical ships to the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. The ships…

Oregon has a new wildfire information app. Learn more about it here.

By Joe Raineri (KGW)

PORTLAND, Oregon — Oregon is currently in the middle of spring, but it’s never too early to start thinking about wildfire season. The state just joined a new app that allows users to monitor wildfires in their area — helping people keep themselves and their property safe.

The app is called Watch Duty and it was launched two years ago in California after the CEO and co-founder, John Mills, nearly lost his home from wildfires in 2020. Mills, who lives on a ranch in Sonoma County, California, has had multiple close calls over the last…

An intense solar storm has the northern lights gracing the skies farther south than usual.

From Washington state to Wisconsin, auroras were reported as mostly a reddish glow instead of the typical green shimmer. In the U.S., skygazers also took in the sights from Colorado, California, New Mexico and even Arizona.

A blast of superhot material from the sun late last week hurled scorching gases known as plasma toward Earth at nearly 2 million mph, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.

Earth felt the brunt…

Six sites on the Oregon coast were approved for special protection designations. Find out more here.

By Nicole Bales, The Astorian

CANNON BEACH — State protections have been secured for two rocky shore areas on the North Coast.

Ecola Point and Chapman Point were two of six sites approved for special protection designations by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development Commission on Thursday.

The sites, initially proposed by the North Coast Rocky Habitat Coalition, were reviewed and considered over the past few years as part of an update to the state’s management strategy for rocky shores under the Oregon Territorial Sea Plan.

Similarly to the measures taken at Haystack Rock, the designations…

Oregon’s minimum wage will see an increase July 1st. Learn more here.

By OPB staff (OPB)

Oregon’s minimum wage will increase by 70 cents per hour on July 1, but the new rate workers get paid depends on where they live in the state.

Oregon’s baseline minimum wage will climb from $13.50 per hour to $14.20, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries announced Friday afternoon.

In the Portland metro area, where state law sets the local minimum wage at $1.25 per hour more than the baseline, the new hourly minimum will climb to $15.45.

And in rural counties,…

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,…