Month: September 2019

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would grant legal marijuana businesses access to banking, a measure that would clear up a longstanding headache for the industry. The bill, called the SAFE Banking Act, passed 321-103 on the strength of near-unanimous support from Democrats and nearly half of Republicans. Its prospects in

A contractor working for the Deschutes National Forest will be replacing the decommissioned Indian Ford Bridge beginning Sunday and continuing through mid-October. The original Indian Ford Creek bridge was condemned in 2013 and removed in June 2015 due to rot on its stringers, planks and decking. The new bridge will begin being installed on Sunday,

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The U.S. government is keeping details secret about a cattle grazing program in six Western states that could be harming habitat and endangered species, an environmental group says. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Western Watersheds Project said the Interior Department is unlawfully withholding information from the public

SEATTLE (AP) — A total of 17 states, including Washington and Oregon, sued the Trump administration Wednesday to block rules weakening the Endangered Species Act, saying the changes would make it tougher to protect wildlife, even in the midst of a global extinction crisis. The lawsuit, in federal court in San Francisco, follows a similar

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., on Wednesday applauded an announcement by the United States and Japan that they have a reached a partial trade deal. Walden said the deal is set to cut tariffs on agriculture and industrial products and will also impact rules regarding digital trade. It is expected to have a significant impact on

(Update: Adding information) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Police Bureau has terminated a two-year contract that allowed federal immigration enforcement agents to use the firing range and classroom space at its training center. The contract was signed in 2018 with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and was expected to run through August 2020,

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Portland man is accused of punching and strangling an Anatolian shepherd named Chino. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Paul Rennells faces one count of aggravated animal abuse in the alleged Monday incident. Court documents say a caller reported that he saw man choking and punching a large dog in a parked van.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal highway officials have endorsed an accelerated timeline proposed by Oregon and Washington transportation officials that sets the two states on a fast track toward construction on a new Interstate 5 bridge by 2025. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that last month, the two states requested a 10-year extension on their timeline to

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday passed a comprehensive energy storage package that includes provisions from Sen. Ron Wyden’s Reducing the Cost of Energy Storage Act to promote the research and development of ways to lower the cost of energy storage technologies to make it possible for renewable energy to be used

(Update: Adding alleged traffic violations, photo) A La Pine man who crashed a stolen off-road motorcycle after a brief chase Tuesday night was taken to the hospital in Bend and cited in lieu of custody on three charges, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said. Around 8:25 p.m., a deputy tried to stop an off-road motorcycle operated

Ocean-based actions have greater potential to fill in gaps in climate change mitigation than previously appreciated, an Oregon State University scientist and two co-authors explain in a paper published Wednesday in Science. The article by OSU distinguished professor Jane Lubchenco and her collaborators aims to connect the dots between two new international reports, one highlighting

From Thursday through next Tuesday, Oregon Adaptive Sports will host five alumni from Denver’s Craig Hospital, a leading neurological rehabilitation facility, for four days of adaptive adventure sports, including mountain biking and kayaking. The trip is part of Craig Hospital’s Adventure Program that serves individuals with spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries that completed

The Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association announced Wednesday that debris burn season will open at sunrise next Tuesday, Oct. 1, for many local fire districts. With the recent fall weather and precipitation received in the area, the fire chiefs, local fire departments, the US Forest Service, the BLM, and Oregon Department of Forestry have agreed

A reduced threat of severe wildfires has prompted Deschutes County officials to end public fire use restrictions a few weeks early. Earlier this summer, county commissioners approved Resolution No. 2019-034, which imposed fire use restrictions on unprotected wild lands within unincorporated Deschutes County, as well as all properties owned by the county. Since current weather

Oregon Zoo animal staff are providing around-the-clock care and some extra TLC this week for Chendra, a 26-year-old Asian elephant whose long-hoped-for pregnancy has ended in miscarriage, veterinarians say. “We knew this was a possibility, but that doesn’t make it any easier,” said Bob Lee, who oversees the zoo elephant program. ” We were all

Rebecca Jones Gaston will serve as the new director of the Child Welfare program, the Oregon Department of Human Services announced Wednesday. Jones Gaston is executive director of the Social Services Administration at the Maryland Department of Human Services. In her current role, Jones Gaston oversees programs that ensure children and vulnerable adults are protected

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement Wednesday in response to the summary of Donald Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “The summary of this call includes outrageous conduct by Donald Trump that represents a clear threat to American democracy and national security. It remains

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), said Wednesday they have reintroduced legislation to reinstate the ban on sending American crude oil abroad. “The math simply doesn’t add up here. America shouldn’t be both importing and exporting millions of barrels of oil a day, wasting precious resources and time while