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Oregon-Northwest

Western wildfire survivors appeal to Congress to end federal income tax on settlements, lawyer fees

By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Western wildfire survivors are calling on Congress to stop playing political football with a bill that would relieve them of federal income taxes on recovery settlements and lawyers fees.  To press their point, they’ve sponsored billboards this month in Idaho and Oregon that directly appeal

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Senators announce $5.4 million in federal funds for Oregon hazardous fuels transportation projects to cut wildfire risk

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Thursday that more than $5.4 million is coming to Oregon from the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest investment in clean energy and climate action ever — for eight hazardous fuels transportation projects across the state. The federal funding awarded by the U.S. Forest Service

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Oregon health officials sound alarm, say pertussis cases expected to break record; vaccinations urged

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon is expected to surpass its record of 910 pertussis cases by the end of 2024, prompting state health officials to sharpen their warnings Thursday about the disease’s serious risks— especially for young babies — and their emphasis on the importance of vaccination. As of Wednesday, Oregon has seen a total

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Oregon jobless rate holds steady at 4% in October as state gains 1,700 jobs; 2024 numbers revised upward

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment gained 1,700 jobs in October, following a revised increase of 900 jobs in September, the state Employment Department reported Thursday. October’s gains were largest in health care and social assistance (+2,400 jobs); government (+1,700); and financial activities (+1,200). Declines were largest in professional and business services (-2,400 jobs); manufacturing (-1,200); and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-1,000). In

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Oregon Construction Contractors Board finds hundreds of proposed violations in sweep of over 1,000 jobsites

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Construction Contractors Board, the state agency that licenses contractors in Oregon, conducts periodic enforcement sweeps in search of unlicensed contractor activity and other violations. “Unlicensed contractors put consumers at risk,” said Vena Swanson, CCB Enforcement Manager. “By searching for unlicensed contractor activity, we’re helping to protect consumers that hire contractors.”

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UO professor equips Oregon middle, high school students with ‘Sassy,’ an AI-powered virtual career counselor

EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon middle-schoolers can now get a head start on picking a career path, thanks to a new tool powered by artificial intelligence and developed by a University of Oregon journalism professor. Ed Madison, a media professor and researcher at the UO’s School of Journalism and Communication, created Sassy, an online career

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Secure Rural Schools funding reauthorization bill unanimously passes Senate, Oregon’s Wyden and Merkley report

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — A bipartisan bill to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program through 2026 introduced by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and has been unanimously approved by the Senate.   Crapo and Wyden were joined by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and

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Avian influenza found in Malheur County backyard flock of chickens, ducks; humanely euthanized

 SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory on Wednesday confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock of chickens and ducks in Malheur County, the first confirmed case in the county. Samples from the flock were first taken to the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State

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Family of Legacy Health security guard killed in shooting sues Portland hospital for $35M

PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — The family of a security guard who was killed at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center last year has filed a $35 million wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital and its parent company, Legacy Health, KGW reported.  Bobby Smallwood, 44, was fatally shot by a suspect later identified by police as PoniaX Kane Calles

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Eugene man pleads guilty to three federal hate crimes for defacing synagogue several times

EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Eugene man pleaded guilty to three federal hate crimes Tuesday for defacing a Eugene synagogue on multiple occasions, federal prosecutors said. Adam Edward Braun, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentionally defacing a synagogue and one count of attempting to deface religious property because it was a place of religious

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Oregon’s state geologist looks to volcanic rock to store carbon dioxide – a novel tool to fight climate change

By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Layers of volcanic rock in Eastern Oregon, the Willamette Valley and the Columbia Basin have created fertile soil for farming and ranching, but in the future it could provide fruitful ground for a whole other industry designed to fight climate change. Oregon’s state geologist is

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