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Oregon State Parks continued to see near-record visitor counts in 2023; Detroit Lake, Prineville Reservoir record gains

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon State Parks continued to experience near record-breaking levels of both day use and camping in 2023, the agency reported Tuesday.  It was the second-busiest year for day-use visits, with an estimated at 52.2 million visits, just behind the historic record of 53 million in 2021. It was the fourth busiest

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Oregon loses nearly 5,000 jobs to start 2024; cold January trims Central Oregon workforce, but rates hold steady

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — In January, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment dropped by 4,900 jobs, following a revised gain of 1,900 jobs in December, the Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday. In a rare start-of-year occurrence, Central Oregon’s jobless rates also were released Tuesday, and while the January winter weather contributed to a reduced workforce,

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Legislative roundup: Nation’s strongest ‘right to repair’ bill heads to governor; task force on gun suicide prevention, more

 SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) –The country’s most comprehensive Right to Repair legislation passed the Oregon House Monday, receiving strong bipartisan support with 42 votes, supporters said as legislative activity ramped up in the final week of the short legislative session. Here’s nearly a dozen news releases on that legislation an much more advancing Monday: SB 1596 will require manufacturing companies to make diagnostic tools,

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Imposter scams, auto sales-repairs, telecom companies lead Oregon’s 2023 Top 10 consumer complaints

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — To mark National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum on Monday released the Oregon Department of Justice’s list of 2023’s top 10 consumer complaints. The Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline fielded 11,631 phone calls and 9,076 written complaints. And for the fourth year in a row, auto sales and repairs, imposter scams and

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Oregon House passes, sends to Gov. Kotek $376 million Emergency Housing Stability and Production Package

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon House on Monday passed Senate Bills 1530 and 1537, key pieces of Gov. Tina Kotek’s $376 million Emergency Housing Stability and Production Package, sending them to her desk as her top priority and the only legislation she proposed for this short legislative session. The investment and related policy doubles down

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Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing to conduct routine night training this week, possibly in C.O. skies

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing will conduct routine F-15 Eagle night training missions from Monday through Wednesday of this week, which could involve flights over Central Oregon. Night training allows the citizen-airmen pilots based at the Portland Air National Guard Base to stay current with mandatory Air Force requirements.

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Legislative roundup: Bills to help wildfire victims, strengthen real estate transactions, raise cap on rainy day fund advance

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — As the Oregon Legislature’s short 2024 session moves toward adjournment, a variety of bills are advancing toward final passage. Here are three of this week’s news releases on legislation beyond the high-profile housing and Measure 110 “fix” packages drawing most attention: On Wednesday, From the Oregon Senate Republican Caucus: Financial Relief

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Oregon bill that challenges book bans in schools passes Senate; Democrats reject Knopp move to wait, discuss in future sessions

SALEM, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — A bill that aims to push back against a rise in book bans in Oregon school districts has passed the Senate, KGW reported.  Senate Bill 1583 says that “that a school official cannot prohibit materials because the materials concern a class of people identified in our education anti-discrimination laws. In other words, you cannot

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Chavez-DeRemer, colleagues introduce resolution supporting IVF treatments in wake of Alabama Supreme Court ruling

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – This week, Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), Michelle Steel (CA-45), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) introduced a resolution that expresses support for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in the wake of an Alabama court ruling that has raised issues about their legality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 19 percent

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USDA issues disaster designation for 9 Oregon counties due to 2023 weather events; farmers can seek emergency loans

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) –Gov. Tina Kotek announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that losses during the 2023 crop year due to multiple weather events in nine counties across the state warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. This determination was made in response to a September 2023 request from Governor Kotek that outlined the

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More than 200 firefighters from across Oregon take part in Winter Fire School training in Salem

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — More than 200 career and volunteer firefighters from nearly 100 fire agencies throughout Oregon attended the 19th annual Winter Fire School at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem last weekend.  The two-day event was hosted by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) and included nine classes offered

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