Weekday Wrap: Boating deaths in Oregon decline; Amazon layoffs won’t impact Pendleton drone operations

By OPB staff (OPB)
Jan. 25, 2023 9:37 p.m.

Stories you may have missed from staff reports and our news partners around the region.

Number of Oregon recreational boating deaths down in 2022

Oregon recorded 16 recreational boating deaths in 2022, which is down compared to the past two years and the lowest since 2017, according to data from the Oregon State Marine Board. In 2020, Oregon recorded 27 deaths, the highest in over three decades, as a wave of new users purchased boats and took to the water during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. That number dropped to 19 in 2021. Fatal accidents were likely down somewhat due to the cold spring that kept many boaters off the water during what’s been one of the most dangerous times for boating accidents. (Zach Urness/Salem Statesman Journal)

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Local leader says Amazon layoffs won’t affect Pendleton drone operations

Amazon’s drone test site in Pendleton was hit especially hard by the announcement that the company would be laying off 18,000 companywide. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy made the announcement in November and January. “I can’t comment on specifics of internal Amazon staffing,” range manager Darryl Abling said. “The tech sector, in general, is pulling back.” (John Tillman/East Oregonian)

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Oregon ranchers seek $800,000 to mitigate wolf predation

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Oregon ranchers are urging lawmakers to invest $800,000 in the state’s wolf compensation fund to help mitigate adverse livestock impacts from the predators. However, environmental advocates claim the program is problematic and oppose the additional funding proposed in Senate Bill 471. “We need to patch this up because we are literally running producers out of business at this point,” said Todd Nash, president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. (Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press)

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Talent officials seeking more feedback on updated urban renewal proposal

Talent city officials presented a draft urban renewal plan Tuesday to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners aimed at helping the city recover from the 2020 Almeda Fire that destroyed half of its housing and businesses. Officials first met with the board last July to discuss the plan but have since drastically scaled it down in size to focus solely on fire recovery efforts. Jackson County Administrator Danny Jordan asked the city if it might be better to wait a year, but Talent City Manager Jordan Rooklyn said the city needs to move now. “The projects we’re hoping to address are not 10-15 year projects we want to get done,” Rooklyn said. (Jane Vaughan/JPR)

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Salvation Army now accepts cryptocurrency donations

The Salvation Army USA Western Territory now is accepting donations via cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, according to the nonprofit’s website. Crypto transactions between two parties are verified through a public, distributed ledger, known as a blockchain. Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency and most widely followed, but a number of cryptocurrencies are currently available. “I don’t know anything about that,” said Maj. DeWayne Halstad, commanding officer of the Pendleton Salvation Army. (John Tillman/East Oregonian)

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Stories you may have missed from staff reports and our news partners around the region.
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