Category Archives: Jefferson Public Radio

Report Shows Major Slide In Oregon Recycling

The shutting of the recycling pipeline to China put a serious dent in recycling efforts on this side of the Pacific. Where we could once bale up our recyclables and ship them overseas, we’re now stuck with them, since China won’t take them. Source: Report Shows Major Slide In Oregon Recycling

Housing Availability, Wages Behind Student Homelessness In Southern Oregon

New data from the Oregon Department of Education shows the number of K-12 students experiencing homelessness in the state grew by about two percent last year. But homelessness looks different between rural and urban areas. Source: Housing Availability, Wages Behind Student Homelessness In Southern Oregon

Oregon Wildfire Council Lays Out Some Options

One major outcome of the Oregon Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response was a number: four billion.  That’s the amount of money estimated to do all the work to make Oregon’s forests more fire resistant, less prone to catastrophic fires. Source: Oregon Wildfire Council Lays Out Some Options | Jefferson Public Radio

Mon 8 AM | Oregon Prepares To Hike Car Registration Fees

Drivers of cars that use little or no gasoline can smile as they drive past gas pumps.  But in Oregon as of January 1, 2020, the smile may slump come time to renew a vehicle registration. Because another set of fees clicks into place with the new year, designed to increase the revenue for Oregon’s […]
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Regulators Maintain Jordan Cove Environmental Impacts Are ‘Less Than Significant’

Federal energy regulators released the final environmental impact findings Friday for the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas terminal and pipeline. This is the last major permitting document that will be published before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission makes a final decision on the southern Oregon project. Source: Regulators Maintain Jordan Cove Environmental Impacts Are […]
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SOU ‘Challenged’ By Budget Forecast, Says President

Southern Oregon University is facing a difficult budget forecast. During a campus community meeting on Thursday, SOU President Linda Schott delivered what was part pep talk and part warning about the future of higher education in Southern Oregon. “The state of our university is challenged,” Schott said, addressing faculty and staff. Source: SOU ‘Challenged’ By […]
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How Place Names Get Assigned And Changed In Oregon

Concerns about offensive place names arise from time to time, mostly because the names persist. Oregon has a long list of places with “squaw” in their names. Source: Fri 8 AM | How Place Names Get Assigned And Changed In Oregon | Jefferson Public Radio

A Push To Protect Oregon Spring Chinook Salmon Gets A Boost From Genetic Science

A logjam on a river can be a beautiful thing—especially if you’re a salmon. Logjams collect the gravel salmon need to lay their eggs. But if you’re a spring chinook on the South Umpqua, the slick gray-green sheets of rock that line the course of the river can be a bleak place. Source: A Push […]
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As It Was: Filbert and Hazelnut, Two Names for the Same Fruit

A Hudson’s Bay Company retiree, Sam Strictland, planted the first cultivated filbert tree in Oregon in 1857 in Scottsburg near the mouth of the Umpqua River. About 20 years later, French immigrant David Gernot, planted 50 imported trees in the Willamette Valley. Oregon’s present-day bountiful industry traces its origin to 1905 when a University of […]
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Wildfire-Resistant Building Materials Required For Some New Homes In Medford

When it comes to a home’s ability to withstand fire, the right building materials can make all the difference. That’s why Medford is leading the way in regulating new construction in wildfire-prone areas. This fall Medford became the first city in Oregon to pass regulations requiring new construction in designated wildfire hazard zones to include […]
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