Will Recent Snow and Rain Make a Difference?

Scientists completed their final snowpack measurement of the season on Mt. Hood today.

They were eager to find out if the last two weeks of heavy rain and snow made much of a difference in a drought year.

complete article...

Also on Thursday's Oregon Considered

Amendment Would Overturn Double Majority Rule

Science Fair Season Competitive in the Tri-Cities

Ronault Catalani Commentary: Riding Tri-Met

Posted by Michael Clapp

Biscuit Fire Logging Protestors Block Downtown Street

Opponents of the Biscuit timber sales in southwest Oregon staged an unusual protest in Portland Wednesday.

A demonstrator suspended himself on a tripod in the middle of Second Avenue and read from the Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax, while dozens of police officers watched and directed traffic.

It took more than an hour for police to get him down.
complete article...

Also on Wednesday's Oregon Considered

Heat Over Bringing Natural Gas Terminals to Astoria

Delay on Final Decision on Portland Middle School

Demobilization Ceremony Planned

Minnis Plan Sends Half Income Tax to Schools

Posted by Michael Clapp | Comments (1)

Idaho Man Devises New Theory on Shroud of Turin

An unlikely protagonist has come up with a new way of looking at perhaps the most studied artifact in human history.

With one surprisingly simple experiment, a young literature instructor in Idaho thinks he's solved the most enduring puzzle behind the Shroud of Turin.

But its mystery persists.
complete article...

Also on Tuesday's Oregon Considered

Lawmakers Weigh Whether to Cut Family Foster Care Program

Delay on Final Decision on Portland Middle School

Spring Rains Bring Slight Relief From Drought Concerns

Rally for Grandparents' Rights

Posted by Michael Clapp

Young and Restless Generation Comes to Oregon

OPB's occasional series The New Oregon Trail' has so far focused mostly on the ethnic minorities who've made their way to the Beaver State. But a recent demographic study shows that migration can be divided into age groups, too.

25 to 34 year-olds are flooding into the I-5 corridor - much to the delight of politicians and economists, who predict this so-called young and restless' generation will boost Oregon's economy.
complete article...

Also on Monday's Oregon Considered

CIM on the Chopping Block, Again

Another Buyer Readies A Bid For PGE

Lawmakers Consider Minimum Wage Exemption  

Posted by Michael Clapp

Vancouver Dog Owners Pursue Privately-Funded Dog Parks

Residents of Vancouver and Clark County have muttered quietly for years that Southwest Washington needs more space for dogs to run off-leash.

With money tight, local governments balked. But BPA agreed recently to let dogs run free under their power lines, so long as city and county officials didn't mind.

One of the key players in the deal is a local non-profit that's willing to put up money for fences and maintenance. Rob Manning visited with dog owners at the park Thursday.
complete article...

Also on Thursday's Oregon Considered

BPA: Drought Cuts Hydropower Potential by 35%

Call for More Transparency in Deadly Force Cases

Tsunami Clean-Up Three Months Later

Posted by Michael Clapp

State May Require U.S. Citizenship to Get Driver's License

A committee in the Oregon House heard testimony Wednesday on a bill to require proof of US citizenship to get a drivers license.

Backers of the measure site homeland security concerns. But civil libertarians and Hispanic groups say the new requirement would discriminate against immigrants.
complete article...

Also on Wednesday's Oregon Considered

Congress to Debate Foster Care Funding Limit

Drastic Cuts Expected for Portland Schools

Millicoma Barge Pulled Off Beach

Posted by Michael Clapp

Danger Averted for Grounded Oil Barge

A potentially dangerous situation has apparently been contained on the southern Washington Coast.

The Coast Guard says nothing has leaked from the oil barge Millicoma.

The barge has been stuck in a cove on the edge of a rocky beach since Saturday night.
complete article...

Also on Tuesday's Oregon Considered

Will Schaivo Case Affect Death with Dignity Act?

Study: 40% Fewer Teen Traffic Deaths in Oregon

Posted by Michael Clapp

Guard Deployments Could Hamper Forest Fire Fighting

Governor Ted Kulongoski said Monday he may issue a statewide drought declaration as early as next week.

Even though rain returned to the state over the weekend, the governor said Oregon is preparing for an early and severe fire season.

Fire fighting may be hampered by the National Guard's deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq.
complete article...

Also on Monday's Oregon Considered

New Yorkers Find Oregon a Land of Opportunity

Blumenauer and Wu Oppose Congress' Part in Schiavo Case

Investigation Underway of Police Shooting of Unarmed Man

Posted by Michael Clapp

Orchestra Explores Music of the Lewis & Clark Era

When you attend a Portland Baroque Orchestra concert, you expect a lively performance of sonatas or concertos.

But PBO is exploring some new musical territory this weekend with a concert of fiddle music, Sacred Harp singing and some pop tunes from the 18th century.

The orchestra is joining forces with Portland area singers to recreate the music of the Lewis & Clark era.

complete article...

Also on Thursday's Oregon Considered

Should the Legislature Convene Every Year?

Gov Wants Expansion of Senior Prescription Drug Program

Initiative Would Crack Down on Bad Doctors

Posted by Michael Clapp

Sen. Smith Breaks With Party to Defend Medicaid Spending

The U.S. Senate spent much of Wednesday afternoon debating a budget amendment from Oregon Senator Gordon Smith.

The proposal would remove a provision of the Senate's budget resolution to cut the Medicaid program by $15 billion over five years.
complete article...

Also on Wednesday's Oregon Considered

Intel Uses Jobs Report To Support Tax Break Extension

Counties Create Processes For Measure 37 Claims

Oregon and Washington Senators Vote Against ANWR Drilling

Posted by Michael Clapp

Lawmakers Consider Tightening the Reins on Payday Loan Shops

Since payday loan shops cropped up in Oregon in the 1990s, their growth has been explosive. In fact, Oregon has more payday loan stores than McDonald's, as critics of the industry like to point out.

And low-income advocates argue that soaring interest rates on loans to poor people cripple their ability to make ends meet and put food on the table.

Oregon lawmakers held a hearing to consider capping interest rate caps.
complete article...

Also on Tuesday's Oregon Considered

Progress at Pesticide-Free Parks

Are Caps the Answer for Escalating Malpractice Costs?

County Tries Blood Testing in Bars to Stem Rise in STDs

Posted by Michael Clapp | Comments (17)

Location Stumbling Block for New Portland Skateparks

Ashland has one, so does Corvallis and Eugene. Newberg has one of the best in the nation.

But Oregon's biggest city, Portland, has no publicly funded skatepark in good enough condition to use.

That's about to change. The city has the money to build two new skateparks. But the tricky part is deciding where to put them.

complete article...

Also on Monday's Oregon Considered

What to Do with State Hospital Remains

Cautious Optimism Locally Over California Gay Marriage Ruling

Forest Service Closes Part of Siskiyou National Forest

Posted by Michael Clapp

PUC Says Harm Outweighs Benefits of PGE Sale to TPG

The Oregon Public Utility Commission today unconditionally rejected the Texas Pacific Group's bid for PGE. Even though the decision puts Portland General Electric's future in limbo, Commissioners said it is not a distressed company and is operating well.

The next move will be up to Texas Pacific, which is holding its cards close to the vest. Ley Garnett reports.complete article...

Also on Thursday's Oregon Considered

Portland Back to Bargaining Table for PGE

Opposition to Beaverton and Gresham Wal-Mart Stores

Cancer Leading Reason For Assisted Suicide Requests

Posted by Michael Clapp

Latest Eruption a 'Minor Event' for Mount St. Helens

Geologists are swarming over Mt. St. Helens Wednesday to investigate last night's eruption of steam and ash. So far they have only visual clues from a distance.

Ley Garnett spoke with one of the scientists this morning and reports that the explosion is being classified as a minor event unlikely to change long-range predictions for the volcano.
complete article...

Also on Wednesday's Oregon Considered

Committee Approves Mental Health Parity Bill

Oregon Businesses Know How to Generate Google Juice

Mediation Talks for Lane Transit District and Workers

Posted by Michael Clapp

Court Upholds Most of PERS Overhaul

The Oregon Supreme Court delivered a mixed bag Tuesday to state lawmakers and more than 300,000 public sector workers in the Public Employees Retirement System.

The justices largely upheld dramatic cost cutting changes to the system enacted in 2003. But the court also tossed out key aspects of the changes.
complete article...

Also on Tuesday's Oregon Considered

Philips Sticks With School Closure Plan

Tribes Form New Gaming Alliance

International Women's Day

Posted by Michael Clapp

Arrests Follow Biscuit Fire Logging Protests

The first attempt to log older trees in the Biscuit Fire area drew protestors today to southwest Oregon. At least eleven people--including a 72-year old woman--were arrested as they tried to block loggers from reaching the Fiddler timber sale.
The trees lie in an area that the Northwest Forest Plan designated for development of old growth forests.
Environmentalists filed a lawsuit to stop logging and got a temporary court injunction last year. That injunction has since expired.
complete article...

Also on Monday's Oregon Considered

Widow Speaks Out on Assisted Suicide

Survey Finds Oregon is Business-Friendly

Beaverton's Growing Pains

Posted by Michael Clapp

A Year of Gay Marriage Confusion

While the issue of gay marriage and civil unions is still alive and kicking in the Oregon Supreme Court and the the state legislature, the furor over the actions of Multnomah County commissioners has largely died out.

Kristian Foden-Vencil offers this retrospective.
complete article...
Civil Unions Issue Lingers In Legislative Limbo

Also on Thursday's Oregon Considered

Where's Our Winter?
Ski Bust a Boon for Coastal Tourism

Posted by Michael Clapp

Trucks Parked To Protest High Diesel Price

Some log haulers on the Northwest coast have parked their rigs to protest the skyrocketing price of diesel fuel.
This week, gas stations across Oregon and Washington are charging all-time record high prices for diesel.
It used to be a little bit cheaper than unleaded. But today it's way more expensive. Truckers are frustrated and suspicious.
Correspondent Tom Banse reports from Aberdeen, Washington.

complete article...

Also on Wednesday's Oregon Considered

Prosser, WA: The Envy of France?

Chalkboard Project Will Continue Work on Education Outreach

Oregon Considers Amnesty For Tax Cheats

Posted by Michael Clapp

Governor Issues Opinion on Measure 37

Governor Ted Kulongoski's office released an official opinion Tuesday on how Measure 37 should be interpreted around the state. The property compensation mesaure, which voters passed in November, has had planners, environmentalists and others worried about what Measure 37 will mean for the state's land use planning system.

"Oregon Considered" host Allison Frost spoke with Lane Shetterly, the director of the Department of Land Conservation and Development about the opinion which includes focuses on the issue of "transferability."

listen to Allison's interview...

Also on Tuesday's Oregon Considered

Guard Families Push For Bringing Troops Home

Tribes Want Their History Taught in Northwest Schools

Notorious Ward 40 to Close

Posted by Michael Clapp