Author Archives: Jerry Curry

Brain tumor hasn’t grown, Richardson says

Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson said treatments for a brain tumor are making him tired but don’t impact his thinking or his fitness to serve. Richardson, a Republican from Central Point, issued a health update Thursday in an online video. In the video, Richardson disclosed ways the cancer and treatment affect his energy levels […]
Read More »

Farm bill does the right things for forests

Rep. Greg Walden says he’s disappointed that provisions to allow ramped-up logging were removed from the 2018 Farm Bill, but the forestry-related measures that are in the final version that passed Wednesday will do more to address wildfire risk and smoke, and are less likely to wind up mired in court battles. The House version […]
Read More »

Oregon State Police funding has rare bipartisan support

Brown calls for more troopers, and GOP agrees. Republicans say they will back Gov. Kate Brown’s effort to start rebuilding the Oregon State Police, which today is staffed at the same levels as in 1969, when the state had half the number of residents as today. Many in the GOP oppose portions of Brown’s new […]
Read More »

How will climate change affect local rivers?

Changing climate could hurt late-summer flows. In addition to bringing longer wildfire seasons and warmer winters to Central Oregon, climate change stands to fundamentally alter the lifeblood of many of the region’s communities: its rivers. Some river experts predict that a declining snowpack could cause massive declines in river flows throughout the Deschutes basin during […]
Read More »

Coos County health officials debunk rising suicide rates during holiday season

For many community members, it’s long been believed that the holiday season not only brings with it a wide range of festivities and joyfulness, but also an increase in suicide rates and depression. owever, national studies and local Coos County healthcare officials beg to differ. While the county faces a higher suicide rate than the […]
Read More »

Federal Farm Bill contains provisions for Oregon’s forests, hemp farmers

Senate passes $867 billion bill, which now goes to the House later this month. A massive federal farming and agriculture bill that’s nearing final approval could provide additional funding for thinning efforts in Central Oregon’s most famous forest, while providing a boost to the region’s burgeoning hemp industry. Source: Federal Farm Bill contains provisions for […]
Read More »

Straw ban, plastic bag tax, gun bill take shape in Salem

The Legislature will consider a statewide tax on plastic bags and a ban on plastic straws. Democrats also plan to introduce a bill that would require gun owners to securely store their weapons using locks. The 2019 legislative session begins in January. Source: Straw ban, plastic bag tax, gun bill take shape in Salem;

Editorial: Ranchers get a biological ultimatum

There was a time when Americans could expect their federal government to offer service that was both even-handed and helpful. Even timely. That has changed, for many of those who now work in government, and for those who depend on the government to treat them fairly. An article on the front page of the Capital […]
Read More »

Brown’s budget includes $16 million for Wallowa Lake dam

Wallowa County irrigators and fish managers got an early Christmas present when they learned Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget includes $16 million to repair and replace Wallowa Lake Dam. The 102-year-old dam was deemed in need of repair almost 40 years ago in the wake of the Teton Dam failure in Idaho. Since then […]
Read More »

Marijuana pesticide contamination worries Oregon farmers

Due to Oregon’s pesticide testing regime for marijuana and its high value, growers of more conventional crops worry about getting blamed for contamination. Concerns about pesticide drift are nothing new in agriculture, but the issue has taken on new gravity for Oregon farmers with marijuana-growing neighbors. Due to Oregon’s pesticide testing regime for marijuana and […]
Read More »