Category OREGON NEWS
Grand jury finds Salem officers justified in fatally shooting teen suspect
A Marion County grand jury on Thursday unanimously found three Salem police officers were justified in shooting and killing 16-year-old Robert Brown on July 13 after attempting to arrest him. A statement released Friday evening by the Marion County District Attorney’s Office said the officers…
U.S. House on bipartisan vote passes bill protecting right to same-sex marriage
Salemites celebrate Pride downtown in 2022. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter) WASHINGTON — Both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. House voted Tuesday to enshrine the right to same-sex and interracial marriages in federal law, though the bill’s path forward in the Senate is unclear. …
Legislative work group focuses on Oregon industrial chicken operations
State legislators are digging into issues around commercial chicken operations that have stirred neighbor opposition. (Oregon Department of Agriculture) State lawmakers, environmentalists and supporters and opponents of industrial chicken farms will meet this summer to consider whether Oregon’s laws to protect residents, wildlife, groundwater and…
New state fire risks map leaves property owners with insurance concerns; some cities challenge data
A new map from the Oregon Department of Forestry shows Ashland as an island of low-fire risk in a sea of high risk. Chris Chambers, the wildfire division chief with Ashland Fire & Rescue, said he disagrees with some of the areas the new map…
Northeast Oregon farms, food industries to buy water filters for those with contaminated wells
Guadalupe Martinez, of Boardman, says a reverse-osmosis filter installed under the sink doesn’t work properly, and the whole-house filter behind her has been broken for years. (Kathy Aney/Oregon Capital Chronicle) In response to the groundwater nitrate emergency in Morrow County, a coalition of food processors,…
Smith, state legislator, quits Malheur County post in face of controversy
Greg Smith, Malheur County economic development director, discusses the Treasure Valley Reload Center at a Nyssa meeting on May 17. Beside him is his aide, Ryan Bailey. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL) VALE – Greg Smith, Malheur County Economic Development director, notified county officials Tuesday, June 28,…
Supreme Court abortion decision: What happens in Oregon?
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, June 24, reversed Roe v. Wade in a long-anticipated decision. (Les Zaitz/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a nearly 50-year-old right to abortion has little immediate impact in Oregon, where the state Constitution guarantees reproductive…
For the first time, Juneteenth is a state holiday in Oregon
A sign at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany directs attendees to a Juneteenth event on Saturday, June 18. The annual celebration of the end of slavery is a state holiday in Oregon for the first time this year. (JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle) A national celebration…
Oregon ag officials approve controversial Foster Farms chicken facility
Eric Simon expects to start construction on this property this summer to raise 3.4 million chickens a year for Foster Farms. (Kendra Kimbirauskas) The Oregon Department of Agriculture has approved a controversial industrial chicken farm in Linn County, provided it meets a few conditions. The…