Category Archives: Willamette Week

Oregon State Police Leave Portland, Trying to Fault the New Reform-Minded District Attorney for Their Departure

Last month, Gov. Kate Brown negotiated a deal for federal law enforcement to leave Portland and Oregon State Police to take over responsibility for policing federal property downtown.But today, the Oregon state troopers departed, and a spokesman for the law enforcement agency blamed the reform-minded Multnomah County district attorney who took office last week. Source: Oregon State Police Leave Portland, […]
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U.S. Postal Service Confirms It Has Removed Mailboxes in Portland and Eugene

A spokesman for the United States Postal Service confirmed that the agency has removed four blue boxes from Portland, and 27 from Eugene this week. The USPS plans to remove a few more boxes from Portland next week. Source: U.S. Postal Service Confirms It Has Removed Mailboxes in Portland and Eugene – Willamette Week

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Orders Malheur County Back to Phase 1 of COVID-19 Emergence

For the past two weeks, 26% of tests for COVID-19 have come back positive in Malheur County. Source: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Orders Malheur County Back to Phase 1 of COVID-19 Emergence – Willamette Week

Federal Coronavirus Guidance to Oregon Takes Portland Off the Areas of Concern

Multnomah County is no longer considered in the yellow zone in federal guidance. Last week, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, referenced Portland as an area of concern for spread of the COVID-19 virus. This week, federal officials took Multnomah County off its list of yellow zone counties. That’s because, according to […]
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Some Oregon Students Can Return to Class

Oregon kids and parents are preparing for distance learning this fall, with few signs that a return to classrooms is imminent. In the past week, the most high-profile symbols of student life—high school and college football—surrendered to the pandemic, with the Oregon School Activities Association and the Pac-12 both delaying their fall sports seasons until […]
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Parents and Children Didn’t Get Other Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic. That Risks Future Outbreaks of Preventable Diseases.

“The impact could be devastating.” Source: Parents and Children Didn’t Get Other Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic. That Risks Future Outbreaks of Preventable Diseases. – Willamette Week

The White House Is Quietly Asking Oregon to Lock Down Some Virus-Ravaged Rural Counties

Gov. Kate Brown did so in Umatilla County—but not in other places hit nearly as hard. Every week since July 14, the White House Coronavirus Task Force has made specific recommendations to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown that included closing bars and gyms in three counties hammered by COVID-19: Umatilla, Morrow and Malheur.   Source: The White […]
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The Oregon Legislature Accomplished a Lot in One Day but Couldn’t Manage to Fix the Pay Scale for Its Own Staff

On Aug. 10, in a whirlwind one-day special session, Oregon lawmakers balanced the state budget, tweaked the unemployment system, and provided much-needed funding for drinking water infrastructure in Salem and on the Warm Springs Reservation. Source: The Oregon Legislature Accomplished a Lot in One Day but Couldn’t Manage to Fix the Pay Scale for Its […]
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Two More Mass Layoffs Show the Depths of COVID-19’s Impact on Oregon’s Economy

Job losses on the Nike campus and at the region’s biggest airline continue Oregonians’ pain. Source: Two More Mass Layoffs Show the Depths of COVID-19’s Impact on Oregon’s Economy – Willamette Week

New Analysis Shows Oregonians of Color Have Entered a Recession

The pandemic impacts underserved communities, worsening already-present economic disparities. The impacts of COVID-19—significant job loss combined with historically high poverty rates—have officially pushed Oregonians of color into a recession. Source: New Analysis Shows Oregonians of Color Have Entered a Recession – Willamette Week