A black bear walks along the shore of the Rogue River in Southern Oregon in this file photo.
Mail Tribune
More bears or more sightings in Southern Oregon? Officials say both
The number of black bears roaming both rural and urban landscapes in Southern Oregon appears to be on the rise, according to state wildlife and forestry officials. People are reporting more run-ins with bears this summer and fall, including a bear attack in west Medford. “I do think the late snow and freeze we had at the end of April probably killed a lot of vegetation and a lot of berry buds at various elevations,” said Matthew Vargas, assistant district wildlife biologist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. If there’s less food at higher elevations, the bears go looking for something to eat at lower elevations, often near housing. And increasingly more people have security cameras to catch the bears in action, which people are eager to report. “We’re definitely getting more calls than usual,” Vargas said. (Buffy Pollock, Mail Tribune)
Portland City Council approves changes for Portland Clean Energy Fund
The Portland City Council voted unanimously today to move forward with a major overhaul for the Portland Clean Energy Fund. The changes would create a five-year plan that includes more tree planting, weatherizing homes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. The program emphasizes solutions that benefit communities of color and low-income households. City Commissioner Carmen Rubio proposed the reforms. She says the changes will allow the program to be more strategic, while continuing to prioritize the intended communities. (OPB Staff)
Southwest Washington school district finishes investigation into allegations of racism by students
Roughly a month and a half after students allegedly exhibited racist behavior at a volleyball game at Washougal High School, the school’s district has concluded its probe into the incident. Washougal School District’s director of communications and technology declined to comment on the investigation or its conclusions. According to a source who contacted the Camas-Washougal Post-Record, the Sept. 15 volleyball game’s theme was “dress in all black.” At the game, the source said, at least one student allegedly arrived wearing blackface, and that student was not told to leave. (Doug Flanagan, Camas-Washougal Post-Record)
Deposit limits, displacement prevention among more Eugene renter protection measures
Despite some mixed feelings in public feedback, Eugene’s city council voted to move forward with three more renter protections beyond those passed earlier this year. The council also approved tweaks to enforcement measures for existing protections and language about data collection. The protections include a limit on the amount that can be charged for a security deposit, a requirement that landlords process applications in the order received, and displacement prevention assistance, which would require payment from a landlord to a tenant in specific instances, including when a lease is legally terminated for no cause. (Megan Banta, Register-Guard)
Ballot error forces delayed voting for Newberg council seats
Those vying for three positions for Newberg City Council will have to wait several more weeks to see if they are elected. Only residents of districts two, four and six saw council candidates listed, even though Newberg’s charter requires all voters in the city to weigh in on council races. Yamhill County Keri Hinton said there was a miscommunication between the city of Newberg and the county that resulted in the error. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan instructed Yamhill County to conduct a new election for the three council spots on or before Dec. 20, “in which all Newberg voters will receive a ballot listing all three City Council races.” (Gary Allen, Newberg Graphic)
