Chronicle Contributor Study: Nearly half of people using opioids in rural areas were recently incarcerated Oregon Health & Science University author of national study says jails have an opportunity to treat drug addiction By: Ben Botkin – November 10, 2023 A national study shows nearly half of people in rural areas who use illicit drugs often were incarcerated recently, including in Oregon. (Getty Images) Almost half of people in rural areas who use illicit drugs were in prison or jail in the last six months, according to a new national study. The study surveyed nearly 3,000 people i ..read more

Press Release TROOPERS RESCUE 92-YEAR-OLD MOTORIST News Release from Oregon State Police  November 13th, 2023 Downloadable file: Larry Hendrickson Troopers rescue 92-year-old overdue driver Elderly driver survives overnight in below-freezing temperatures BAKER CITY, Ore. 13 Nov. 2023 – Oregon State Police troopers recently rescued an elderly driver who had earlier been reported as overdue. The 92-year-old motorist, Larry Hendrickson, is recovering well after spending a night exposed to below-freezing temperatures. On Nov. 7, 2023, at approximately 3 p.m. troopers were notified of an ove ..read more

Press Release OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY DEPLOYMENTS TO KENTUCKY AND NORTH CAROLINA News Release from Oregon Dept. of Forestry November 13th, 2023 Downloadable file: thumb_Fire_Operations-Kentucky.jpg Salem, Ore.—Though fire season has subsided in Oregon, other parts of the country are strained for resources as they hit their peak. In the last week, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) sent 68 firefighters to Kentucky and 10 firefighters to North Carolina to assist in their fire suppression efforts. The department is planning on sending more firefighters this week to both states. The r ..read more

Press Release OHCS RELEASES REPORT ON STATE-FUNDED WILDFIRE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM News Release from Oregon Housing and Community Services November 13, 2023 SALEM, Ore. — The state Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Account (WRRA) program supported hundreds of wildfire-affected households to find temporary housing or to recover fully from the massive devastation of the 2020 Labor Day Wildfires and Straight-line Winds, according to a new report published by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). OHCS used $35.3 million of the $150 million made available by the Oregon Legislature throug ..read more

Chronicle Contributor New federal rule seeks to curb ‘deceptive practices’ in poultry production By: Jared Strong – November 13, 2023  Many farmers who raise chickens for meat are merely stewards of animals that are owned by large companies, like Foster Farms in the Northwest. (Stephen Ausmus/U.S. Department of Agriculture) Federal ag officials are poised to enact new disclosure requirements for the poultry industry to give chicken growers a better understanding of their potential profits. The changes are meant to address some long-standing complaints by farmers who are contracted by ..read more

Chronicle Contributor Oregon water officials say permitting must change to keep tens of thousands of wells from going dry The cost of digging deeper wells could climb into the hundreds of millions if the state does not revamp groundwater permitting, officials told lawmakers By: Alex Baumhardt – November 13, 2023 Klamath County has struggled with persistent drought and lawmakers have directed millions to residents who have had their wells dry up. (Courtesy of the governor’s office) The Oregon Water Resources Department must update its 68-year-old rules for permitting new wells or double dow ..read more

David Runkel Tidbits 11/13/23   By David Runkel   “Ridiculous” Obstacles Placed on Pioneer Hall Use   City officials have put “ridiculous” new obstacles to the reopening of Pioneer Hall for serving dinners to homeless people and others facing food insecurity, Peace House Director Elizabeth Howlett says.   At a meeting last week with Acting City Manager Sabrina Cotta, dinner sponsors were told that the Winburn Way hall was not available for use on a regular basis.  Further, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners would be allowed only if sponsors paid an exterminator to dea ..read more

Chronicle Contributor (Lynne Terry/Oregon Capital Chronicle) It was another newsy week in Oregon politics, with legislative retirements, a new state health director, an ongoing teachers’ strike, lawsuits and a marathon of meetings at the state Capitol. In 2024 election news, state Sen. Lynn Findley won’t wait for the outcome of a state lawsuit over whether he and nine other conservative senators who participated in a walkout can run for reelection. Findley, who represents a vast swath of eastern Oregon, announced his retirement W ..read more

Press Release MISSING SUTHERLIN MAN’S BODY FOUND News Release from Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office  November 11th, 2023 WILBUR, Ore. – The body of Billy Wayne Whitehead has been located. On Thursday, November 9, 2023, shortly before 9:30 p.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers received information that a deceased body was found in the area of Highway 99 near Wilbur Road. Deputies arrived on scene and confirmed the presence of a deceased body, which was identified as 49-year-old Billy Wayne Whitehead of Sutherlin. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation alongside the Douglas ..read more

Chronicle Contributor Will Congress heed the warning call on hunger? Juan Carlos Ordóñez November 10, 2023 The U.S. Department of Agriculture donates tons of produce and other food to food banks in Oregon to feed low-income residents struggling to put food on the table. (Courtesy of the U.S Department of Agriculture) It is said that hunger is the canary in the coal mine of household economic suffering. For cash-strapped families left with only cruel choices on how to meet their basic needs, food is often the first item sacrificed. Better to skip some meals than lose the apartment, the thi ..read more