Salem rental owner never learned of raid, until she came to clean it up
Late last year, Angela Jones returned to a short-term rental property she owns in South Salem to find it completely trashed. The cabinets were all open and empty. The attic and crawl spaces were ransacked. Jones only learned later from a neighbor that police had raided the house weeks earlier. The FBI and Salem police arrested the man and woman who rented the house through Airbnb and seized $700,000 worth of illegal drugs and dozens of guns. It’s one of several incidences nationwide of easily accessible short-term rentals becoming magnets for crime. (Bill Poehler/Statesman Journal)
Greater Idaho movement clears first legislative hurdle
An Idaho House committee passed a resolution Monday that would authorize the state’s Legislature to begin talks with Oregon lawmakers on the effort to combine parts of Eastern Oregon with Idaho. So far, 11 Oregon counties have voted to study joining the Gem State or have approved of the concept, but the movement faces serious logistical challenges. Lawmakers in both states would have to negotiate how to operate prisons and schools and maintain roads under the plan. If both state legislatures agree on a deal, it would still need congressional approval. (James Dawson/Boise State Public Radio)
Oregon corgis may have found a new beach
An annual oceanfront celebration of the humble corgi on the Oregon Coast may have found a new home. After canceling Oregon Corgi Beach Day at Cannon Beach last month, the Portland-based organizers announced last week they will host an event in Seaside. Corgi Beach Day started a decade ago with about 30 corgis and has in recent years attracted hundreds. It raises money for the Oregon Humane Society. This year’s event in Seaside is scheduled for June 24. (Nicole Bales/The Astorian)
Proposal would eliminate new Oregon beaver protections on farmland
New restrictions on killing beavers wouldn’t apply in Oregon’s exclusive farm-use zones under proposed changes to a landmark timber management law passed last year. The Private Forest Accord, a compromise struck between timber and environmental groups, imposed new logging setbacks along streams and increased protections for beavers, among other provisions. Critics say the new beaver control limits were inadvertently extended to some farmland when the agreement was incorporated into forestry statutes in 2022. Advocates are pushing the state Legislature to exempt agricultural landowners from the new rules. (Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press)
Oregon floral industry struggles with cost increases
West Coast flower growers are predicting a big Valentine’s Day. Most retailers are ordering at least as many flowers as they did last year if not more, according to a recent floral industry poll. Despite these strong sales projections, several Oregon growers and retailers say they’re struggling with increased costs for energy, labor and supplies. The big question on growers’ and retailers’ minds is whether consumers facing inflationary pressures will penny-pinch this year and skip buying flowers. (Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press)
