Oregon faces five major challenges, according to economist John Tapogna: a housing shortage; lousy K–12 schools; wildfires; overreliance on income taxes; and ambivalence about growth.
A recent rulemaking process from the Department of Land and Conservation Development could have limited what can be sold at farm stands, but an outsized public response to the potential rules put the process on an indefinite pause.
An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia on Tuesday evening according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), prompting a Tsunami Watch for the Oregon coast and other west coast regions.
On Wednesday, July 16, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency over the wildfires at the request of the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshal. Forest Grove firefighters are once again aiding at statewide wildfires.
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is urging Oregonians to be vigilant in the face of a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin
warning of a heightened threat environment amid the Israel-Iran war and U.S. airstrikes on Iran.
A spokeswoman for Oregon Housing and Community Services said a low risk tolerance and inexperience in major disaster recovery by the agency has slowed the rollout of federal aid following the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
The OLCC ratified changes to the Bottle Bill enacted by SB 992, which Gov. Kotek signed into law last week. Most changes apply only to Portland. Locally, retailers must accept returns only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On July 1, saké, canned wine, mead & some cider will have a 10 cent deposit statewide.
The 2025 fire season is projected to be more intense than the 2024 season fire leaders said, but emergency response agencies have begun preparing early
The 2025 fire season is projected to be more intense than the 2024 season fire leaders said, but emergency response agencies have begun preparing early.
The move comes after labor officials found Pamplin, who owned the Forest Grove News-Times and other area newspapers until last June, violated federal pension laws in his management of retirees money.�
