Income inequality in Oregon reached a record during the pandemic
In 2020, income inequality broke state records, according to Oregon tax data. The median income of Oregonians fell and the top 1% of earners, which included the billionaire owners of Nike and Columbia, saw average gains of over 11%. Josh Lehner, an economist with the state, said preliminary data shows an even larger gap in 2021. But Lehner said income inequality may now be lessening, as the stock market cools and raises for the lowest earners outpace inflation. (Nathan Wilk/KLCC)
Black women leaders from across Oregon share support for Shakespeare Festival director
Earlier this year, reports emerged that Nataki Garrett, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival artistic director, had received racially motivated threats against her life. Now, 30 Black women in leadership positions throughout Oregon have released a joint statement in support of Garrett. The statement, sent from the offices of Sen. Akasha Lawrence Spence, D-Portland, and Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, pointed to Garrett’s work as an example of success and referred to her as a trailblazer for securing funds for the festival as it weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. (Morgan Rothborne/The Mail Tribune)
Investigators are looking for a poacher who left dozens of salmon to rot near Cascade Locks
Oregon State troopers are investigating a large dump site with dozens of illegally fished salmon at an exit along Interstate 84, near Cascade Locks. The salmon were found rotting on Wednesday near Exit 51 and Wyeth Road. The fish were caught using gill nets, and some were filleted while others were left whole. People who turn in poachers may be able to receive hunting preference points or cash rewards. (Christopher Keizur/The Portland Tribune)
From cone to cardboard: The life cycle of a tree in the forest products industry
Tree cone harvest is a key step in America’s complex and fast-changing wood products industry. It’s a two- to three-week blitz aimed at getting seeds for a new tree crop. The industry is colossal, creating 119,836 direct forest sector jobs across the Northwest, according to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Washington Forest Protection Association and the University of Idaho. Oregon’s forest products industry alone contributes $8.1 billion to the state’s annual gross domestic product. The industry touches consumers in many ways, ranging from lumber for a house to cardboard for a box. Before reaching consumers, however, each tree faces a journey involving many processes and people. (Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press)
A housing conundrum in SW Washington: How to keep rent affordable without creating shortages?
Come December, Saree Adams, who has lived in an affordable apartment complex In Washougal funded through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for 10 years, doesn’t know how she will pay her rent. Adams, who says she’s never missed a rent payment, will see an increase of nearly $400 next month, resulting in a monthly rent about 40% higher than what she pays now. Many Washington residents have faced rent increases since the state’s eviction ban ended last year. Rents have risen almost 14% in Clark County since 2019, according to data compiled by the Washington Post. These rent increases are legal in Washington, a state where rent control is prohibited. (Kelsey Turner/The Columbian)
TriMet pulls ‘Green buses’ from Division line
TriMet has pulled its new 60-foot buses off the recently launched Division Street line after the bus manufacturer, Nova Bus, issued a recall notice on Aug. 10. TriMet said that it pulled the buses out of an “abundance of caution.” The rapid bus line runs from Portland’s downtown transit mall to the Cleveland Transit Center in Gresham. It was designed to cut travel time and accommodate more passengers in 30 longer buses. (Jim Redden/Portland Tribune)
