Study: Sunflower sea stars could help protect kelp forests
Scientists believe at one point there may have been billions of sunflower sea stars roaming the oceans. Now, sea star wasting syndrome has decimated their population and research from University of Oregon and Oregon State University shows those sea stars play a key role in protecting another threatened piece of the coastal ecosystem: kelp forests. That’s because the sea stars dine on sea urchins that in turn have an appetite for the kelp providing essential habitat, food and refuge for many species. Up until now, scientists had not quantified the relationship between sea stars, urchins and kelp. The new study found sea stars eat about two-thirds of an urchin a day. “Eating less than one urchin per day may not sound like a lot,” said Sarah Gravem, a research associate in Oregon State’s college of science, “but we think there used to be over 5 billion sunflower sea stars.” (Makenzie Elliott/Eugene Register-Guard)
NW Natural fights Eugene’s new rules on gas
Eugene’s city council earlier this month banned fossil fuel hookups in new low-rise residential construction. Opponents of that ordinance are now gathering signatures to prevent it from taking effect later this year. The referendum’s chief petitioners are Eugene residents, but its biggest financial supporter is NW Natural, which provides natural gas to roughly 2.5 million people in the region. The Portland-based utility has so far sunk more than $650,000 into the effort to fight the fossil fuel ban. To get on the ballot, 6,460 valid signatures must be gathered by March 10. (Chris M Lehman/KLCC)
Sandy mayor defends councilor embroiled in OLCC bourbon scandal
The mayor of Sandy is standing by one of its city councilors named in the recent state inquiry into the rare bourbon scandal within the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. City Councilor Chris Mayton, who lives in Sandy, is director of distilled spirits for OLCC. He has worked for OLCC for four years and was sworn in as a city councilor this January. Mayton has reportedly admitted to being one of the OLCC employees involved in the diverting of rare bourbons so they and their friends could buy them. Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam said he is confident Mayton will be cleared and that any action to remove Mayton from the council would need to be “voter-led.” (Brit Allen/Portland Tribune)
Criminal cases among ‘mental unfit’ double in Deschutes County
The number of criminal defendants in Deschutes County deemed mentally unfit to aid in their own defense has more than doubled since 2021, mirroring a statewide spike in mental illness in the pandemic’s wake. With little room at a beleaguered Oregon State Hospital, defendants are being released to Central Oregon communities that largely lack the means — in the form of housing and other support services — to help a defendant’s mental health improve enough for the case to move forward, experts say. That has spawned grave concerns in law enforcement, the mental health community and the judicial system. “It’s really sad to me,” said Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Alison Emerson, who presides over a docket that includes aid-and-assist cases. “I feel like these are humanitarian issues, and we’re not giving people the ability to live their best life.” (Bryce Doyle/The Bend Bulletin)
Hospital in Coos Bay reaches an impasse in labor negotiations
Negotiations have stalled between Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay and the union representing half of its employees. Kim Winker, director of marketing and communications for the hospital, said in a press release on Monday that the hospital simply cannot afford to meet the demands of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555. The union is asking for a 20% pay raise and other increases that would cost the hospital more than $13 million in the first year. The hospital has offered a package that includes a 14% pay raise and other benefit increases at a cost of $4.7 million in the first year. (David Rupkalvis/The Bandon Western World)
