Oregon Beach News, Wednesday 4/10 – Scheduled Army Rotary Wing Late Night Flying on Northern Oregon Coast & Other Local and Statewide News…

Governor Kotek Issues Notice of Potential Vetoes

The notice relates to budget items in Senate Bill 1530 and Senate Bill 5701

Salem, OR – Today, pursuant to Article V, section 15b, of the Oregon Constitution, Governor Tina Kotek provided notice to the Legislature that she is considering line-item vetoes for budget allocations from the 2024 legislative session.

The potential vetoes primarily relate to a series of one-time funding allocations in Section 9 of Senate Bill 1530, pending the receipt of additional information regarding new housing production resulting from the direct appropriations and related infrastructure projects.

“The legislative intent of this funding is to support shovel-ready projects that are essential for new housing production,” Governor Kotek said. “After the legislative session, my office began a review of each of the projects to confirm project scope, cost, timeline, feasibility, and the nexus to housing production and affordability.

“Before making final decisions, I am giving cities and districts the opportunity to provide more information to my office to confirm whether these funding allocations will result in the production of new housing within an acceptable timeline. This is part of my ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and outcomes with public funds, including direct appropriations.”

The Governor’s Office has identified seven projects where more information is needed to confirm a direct nexus to specific housing development sites or projects, in order for the projects to be supported moving forward.

The following funding allocations, totaling $14 million, are being considered for potential line-item vetoes.

• $3 million to the Oak Lodge Water Services Authority for wastewater treatment facility upgrades
• $3 million to the City of Siletz for wastewater treatment plant upgrades
• $3 million to the Tualatin Valley Water District for upgrades to the pump station on SW 189th Avenue in Beaverton
• $1.5 million to the City of Butte Falls for wastewater treatment plant and lift station upgrades
• $1.5 million to the City of Shady Cove for development of the city drinking water system
• $1 million to the City of Creswell for wastewater treatment facility upgrades and connections to a regional treatment facility
• $1 million to the City of Gold Hill for replacement of a water distribution main line and improvements and upgrades to water treatment facilities

Additionally, Governor Kotek provided notice of a potential line-item veto of Section 499 of Senate Bill 5701. The section of the bill allocated $2 million to the Old Town Community Association to support the Made in Old Town development project.

“I appreciate the intent of this project to help revitalize the Old Town neighborhood in Downtown Portland,” Governor Kotek said. “My office is awaiting more information from the development group about the viability of financing for the entire project before I make my decision.”

Governor Kotek will announce her final decision on these vetoes by April 17.

Oregon Lottery Announces Location Where $1.326 Billion Winning Powerball Ticket was Sold

Salem, Ore. – The lucky ticket matching all six Powerball numbers in Saturday’s $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot was sold at the Plaid Pantry at 6060 NE Columbia Boulevard in Portland. That store will receive a bonus of $100,000 for selling the jackpot winner. 

Additionally, Oregon Lottery is working with a ticket holder who came forward on Monday to claim the prize. The process involves security measures and vetting that will take time before a winner can be announced. 

“This is an unprecedented jackpot win for Oregon Lottery,” said Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells. “We’re taking every precaution to verify the winner before awarding the prize money, which will take time.” 

This was the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history, and the eight largest among U.S. jackpot games. 

Plaid Pantry has sold other large Oregon Lottery jackpot prizes, including a $3.3 million Megabucks jackpot last summer. 

“Plaid Pantry is thrilled to learn that one of our 104 Oregon stores sold the $1.3 billion dollar Powerball ticket,” said Plaid Pantry President and CEO Jonathan Polonsky. “This store is one of our newest and most loved stores. Proceeds from the Oregon Lottery fund many programs that benefit everyone in the state, and we’ve been a proud partner with the Oregon Lottery since the very beginning. Congratulations to our lucky customer from our over 700 Plaid associates!”

Winning $1.326 Billion Powerball Jackpot Sold in Oregon

Salem, Ore. – A Powerball ticket worth $1.326 billion was sold in Portland and is the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in the game’s history. The ticket for Saturday’s drawing was purchased on April 6. 

“I want to congratulate the winner on this life changing moment. No one in Oregon has ever won a prize on this scale, and it’s very exciting for our staff and players,” said Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells. “Even if you aren’t holding the winning ticket, all of our players support programs and services statewide that receive Lottery dollars.”

The winner has a year to come forward and claim their prize. Per state law, players in Oregon, with few exceptions, cannot remain anonymous. The largest Powerball prize previously won in Oregon was a $340 million jackpot in 2005. The last time a Powerball jackpot was won in the state was in 2018, when a Salem man won $150.4 million. 

Approximately a third of sales from the game will be returned to state beneficiaries to support economic development, education, veteran services, state parks and more. 

Retailers who sell lottery tickets also earn commissions from the boost in ticket sales and bonus payments for lower tier wins. For instance, an Oregon retailer who sells a $1 million ticket would earn a $10,000 bonus. 

Saturday’s jackpot was the eighth largest among U.S. lottery jackpot games. The jackpot was previously won on New Year’s Day in Michigan with a ticket that won a $842.4 million jackpot. Powerball is a multi-state jackpot operated by 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 

The Oregon Lottery recommends that you always sign the back of your ticket to ensure you can claim your prize. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. 

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org. 

OHCS awards more than $40 million to build and preserve over 400 affordable homes

One housing development expected to create 30 homes in a Tribal community 

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announces funding awards of more than $40 million in grants and tax credits to build and preserve 417 homes. The resources come from the federal 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), HOME, General Housing Account Program (GHAP), and the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credits (OAHTC). These resources are used along with local, state, and private investments to make possible the development of affordable housing in communities across Oregon.

“This progress is about what really matters—putting resources towards investments that make life better for more Oregonians,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “Over 400 families and individuals will have a safe and stable place to call home because of these investments and the leadership of our local partners who made this possible. This progress can invigorate neighborhoods, communities, and our economies. These investments in housing today will serve Oregonians for generations to come especially in our rural and Tribal communities.”

These investments also contribute to the five-year Statewide Housing Plan (July 2019-July 2024) goal of increasing the pipeline of affordable rental housing. OHCS surpassed the goal of adding 25,000 homes to the pipeline and has met this goal at around 107% of the target as of the end of 2023. The agency will release the outcomes of the Statewide Housing Plan this summer.

The latest investments for the creation affordable rental housing in Oregon were approved last week by the Oregon Housing Stability Council (HSC). Below is a list of the developments and further details can be found in the HSC meeting materials.

comunicado de prensa en español

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)

OHCS is Oregon’s housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.

Asante In Court With 13 Federal Cases Including Religious Discrimination For COVID Vaccine Refusal

A group of lawsuits against Asante’s health care operations began Tuesday in federal court. Thirteen federal court cases had a shared proceeding Tuesday afternoon with the U.S. District Court in Medford.

A sampling of the cases shows claims of religious discrimination against Asante by health care workers who invoked religion as their rationale for refusing to get COVID-19 vaccinations, claiming their employment with Asante subsequently was suspended, causing wrongful employment termination for exercising their religious beliefs.

Eight of the cases list individual plaintiffs, and five of the civil cases have multiple plaintiffs, such as Kather et al v. Asante Health System et al.  For example, that case has 14 plaintiffs, including Michele Kather, Kourtney Selee, Alyssa Button, Justin Cirillo, Anna Drevenstedt, Ron Hittinger, Miles Kopish, Holly Martin, Tamara Rada, Jessica Stone, Michaela Begg, Myranda Miller, Ronda Osterberg and James Wilson. They list Asante Health System and Does 1 Through 50 as plaintiffs.

Their federal lawsuit seeks “damages for religious discrimintation in violation of Title VII … and aiding and abetting religious discrimination.”

Tuesday’s court conference involves Asante Health System, Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and Asante Three Rivers Medical Center as follow:

• Morris v. Asante Health Systems
• Gemmrig v. Asante Three Rivers Medical Center, LLC
• Kather et al v. Asante Health System et al
• Thompson et al v. Asante Health System et al
• McCune et al v. Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, LLC et al
• Burns et al v. Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, LLC et al
• Lott v. Asante
• Johnson v. Asante Health System et al 
• Temple v. Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, LLC et al
• Folin v. Asante
• Gilinsky v. Asante
• Wolfe v. Asante
• Vargas et al v. Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, LLC et al

Salem-based attorney Ray Hacke is legal counsel for plaintiffs in three cases, including Kather. He said he believes all of today’s Asante cases are COVID-19 vaccine related.

Hacke said Asante claims it accommodated employees who’d cited religion to decline COVID-19 vaccination by putting them on unpaid leave from work. He says, “Putting everybody on unpaid leave … left people to choose between their faith and their employment.”

He said federal law is clear that employers should not penalize people who identify and articulate their religious beliefs as rationale for an allowed exemption from vaccination. He said, for example, Ronda Osterberg specifically spelled out her faith basis as rationale to Asante for declining COVID-19 vaccination, “then was fired outright.”

Hacke said the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with jurisdiction over Oregon, last year ruled that an employee’s religious observance is a minor adjustment for employers to accommodate.

His three cases are among today’s 13 cases he says are getting consolidated by the federal district court in Medford, including his largest plaintiffs case with 47 plaintiffs. (SOURCE)

Five Oregon Counties Secure Over $1 Million In Federal Grants For Airport Upgrades

Airports in Linn, Lake, Columbia, Deschutes, and Wasco counties have secured a total of more than $1 million in federal grants for construction, infrastructure rehabilitation and more, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced on Tuesday, April 9th.

“Oregonians count on local airports in their communities for jobs, economic vitality, public safety and much more that strengthen quality of life,” Wyden said. “I’m glad these Oregon communities have earned these federal airport investments, and I’ll keep battling for similar resources throughout our state.”

“Oregon’s regional airports serve as vital hubs for our communities, supporting local businesses, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters,” said Merkley. “These federal investments will modernize infrastructure at airports across Oregon – in urban, suburban, and rural communities – ensuring safety and fostering economic success in our state.”

The grants from the Department of Transportation will be given to the following Oregon airports:

• Lake County, $448,000 to update an existing master plan for the airport
• Scappoose, $358,234 for construction on taxi lanes and more
• Bend Municipal, $315,000 for work on taxi lanes
• Albany Municipal, $200,000 for rehabilitation work on hangars
• Columbia Gorge Regional/The Dalles Municipal, $138,667 on construction of a fuel apron (SOURCE)

Oregon’s Three Largest Universities Raising Tuition

Three of Oregon’s largest universities are raising tuition rates, saying the costs of operating a university are becoming more and more overwhelming.

Portland State University, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State University are all raising tuition for the 2024-2025 school year.

The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted in March to raise tuition by 3% for new undergraduates, locked for five years. Trustees at Portland State met Friday and approved a 4.8% increase in tuition for resident undergraduate students. Oregon State trustees also met Friday and voted to raise tuition costs for resident undergraduate students at its Corvallis Campus by 4.91%, which adds up to a $11 to $12 increase per credit hour, or roughly $500 a year for a student taking 15 credits.

This also comes after all three schools raised tuition rates the previous year.

According to OSU’s tuition and fee process, the university considers several factors in developing tuition and fee recommendations, including providing access to degree programs for students from all circumstances, supporting world-class research, maintaining the human and physical infrastructure necessary to support Oregon’s educational outcome goals, projected cost and revenue changes, impact of tuition increases on enrollment for undergraduate students, and more.

Under OSU’s cohort model, the amount a student pays for tuition depends on when they enrolled, and it typically changes every year. Trustees have a fee process that states tuition rate increases will be between 2-5% every year, but in Friday’s meeting, officials said increasing expenses are making it harder each year to stay in that range.

The board meeting’s summary wrote, “strategies for new enrollment growth and innovative efficiencies in administration, program, and service delivery have been a foundational part of the university’s operations and priorities and will continue to be in the future. However, growing cost pressures are straining OSU’s ability to maintain tuition increases with this modest range.”

Despite the unease about increasing tuition, students who are enrolled hope to see the money go to good use, and hopefully use it to help those who can not afford the increase to still be able to earn a degree. (SOURCE)

Merkley and Wyden Announce Over $90 Million Coming To Oregon For Drinking Water And Wastewater Advancements

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a total of $90,393,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is headed to Oregon to fund safe drinking water projects and strengthen wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, which will protect public health and treasured bodies of water across the state.

“Reliable access to clean water is essential for the health and safety of every community in Oregon,” said Merkley, Chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds this program. “These funds will help improve water infrastructure—a top concern I hear about in the town halls I hold in every corner of Oregon, especially from folks in our rural communities. I’ll continue to do all I can to ensure every community has reliable access to safe drinking water and water sanitation by addressing outdated water infrastructure here in Oregon and across the nation.”

“Every Oregonian turning on the tap and using water in any fashion throughout the day should be able to count on a safe and dependable supply,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified this federal investment to strengthen water infrastructure is coming to help our entire state, and I’ll keep battling to secure clean water for every community large and small in Oregon.”

Today’s major investments for Oregon are part of $8.5 billion nationally announced by the EPA from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 for states, Tribes, and territories through this year’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). 

Of the over $90 million Oregon is receiving, $53,079,000 is coming from the DWSRF to support the development of water treatment facilities and other projects necessary to ensuring clean and safe drinking water for communities around the state. The additional $37,314,000 from the CWSRF will fund critical wastewater projects identified by the state. 

For a full state-by-state breakdown of the national funding awards, click HERE.

Oregon Secretary of State releases 2024 Civic Engagement Toolkit

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade released a civic engagement toolkit today, aimed at helping organizations do voter registration and voter turnout work in the 2024 elections.

The tools included in the 2024 toolkit are official, non-partisan, research-backed and free to use with or without attribution to our office.

Download the 2024 Civic Engagement Toolkit here.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Awarded Oregon’s 2023 DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year

– Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) was awarded the Oregon 2023 DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year in a ceremony last Thursday, April 4. The award came from the Oregon DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force in recognition for outstanding professional achievement in the deterrence and prevention of DUIIs in the State of Oregon. For the 2023 state-wide awards there were 15 awards categories with a total of 105 nominations. 

This award highlights JCSO’s comprehensive approach to ensuring road safety and reducing DUII incidents within the community. In 2023, the JCSO’s Patrol Division, which was comprised of approximately 40-sworn personnel, were responsible for the following:

•            1,032 Crash Investigations

•            367 DUII Arrests

•            13,526 Traffic Stops

Beyond DUII enforcement, JCSO has adopted a strategy to prevent DUIIs, emphasizing strong community ties and proactive education. Our efforts include the launch of a Citizen Recognition Program to honor and encourage public involvement in identifying impaired drivers, enhancing collaborations with emergency response teams, and the delivery of extensive educational programs targeting various community segments.

Key educational initiatives spearheaded by JCSO in 2023 encompass a range of programs:

Victim Impact Panel: A mandatory course for those convicted of DUII and others interested in understanding the consequences of impaired driving, facilitated by a combination of law enforcement, medical professionals, victims, and offenders.

Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals (DITEP): Aimed at school personnel, this course focuses on identifying and intervening with students impaired by drugs.

Students for a Safer Tomorrow: This program educates high school students on DUII investigation, the risks of impairment, and prevention strategies.

Citizens Academy: Offering citizens insights into the dangers of DUII, through discussions on crash statistics, impairment detection, and sobriety testing.

JCSO also places a significant emphasis on law enforcement training, including refreshers on field sobriety testing, advanced roadside impaired driving enforcement, and specialized courses on drug influence evaluation.

JCSO’s dedication extends to allocating specialized resources and expertise, such as traffic units focused on DUII enforcement, Drug Recognition Experts to assist in DUII cases, and a team specialized in Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction.

The “2023 DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year” award is a testament to JCSO Patrol’s steadfast commitment and impactful strategies in creating safer roadways. Their efforts not only make our community safer but also serve as an example for other law enforcement agencies in the fight against impaired driving.

Oregon Offers Electric Car Rebates Again – Apply Now Until June 3rd

Due to high demand and limited funding, OCVRP will be open for a short time in 2024. Vehicles must be purchased or leased between April 3, 2024, to June 3, 2024, to be eligible for a rebate.

Applicants have six months from their date of purchase or lease to apply. Low- and moderate-income households can prequalify for the $5,000 Charge Ahead rebate by completing the application now at https://apps.oregon.gov/DEQ/Voucher/apply.

Oregon to Honor Fallen Law Enforcement Officers May 7th, 2024

Every year, the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony honors the state’s law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. This year’s ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 7 at 1 p.m. at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem.

The annual event commemorates the more than 190 fallen officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the state of Oregon since the 1860s. This includes law enforcement, corrections, and parole and probation officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies.

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training is proud to host the ceremony in partnership with the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Oregon Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation, and various statewide law enforcement associations.