Latest news with #GovKotek
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cram Fire caused by transformer, explodes to 64K acres overnight
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Cram Fire burning in northern Oregon has exploded in size overnight, impacting roughly 64,000 acres as of Wednesday morning. The Jefferson County Sheriff told KOIN 6 News that the fire was started by a transformer in the area, and is currently roughly 1.5 miles away from Deer Ridge Correctional Facility. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Officials have issued Level 3 'Go Now,' Level 2 'Be Set,' and Level 1 'Be Ready' evacuations for both counties. Updated maps for Jefferson County and Wasco County are available. Gusty winds on Tuesday pushed the fire southeast toward Ashwood and jumped Trout Creek, running up Ranger Butte, according to fire officials. Firefighters say the wildfire is now moving to the southeast. 'The Cram Fire remained active throughout the night, pushed by low humidity and strong northeast winds up to 16 mph,' officials said. 'The fire continues to challenge containment efforts, and it is approximately 64,295 acres after the infrared flight last night.' READ MORE: Gov. Kotek declares state of emergency for Oregon wildfire season Fire crews say they expect the direction of winds to shift by early Wednesday afternoon, potentially testing containment lines. The most recent mapping shows 0% containment for the fire. Meanwhile, officials say smoke from the Cram Fire is impacting air quality. Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue our wildfire coverage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nearly 500 Oregon transportation workers get layoff notices after ‘preventable' funding emergency
Oregon Department of Transportation road crews move snow clearing equipment on the Highway 204 near Elgin on January 2, 2025 (Photo courtesy of ODOT) Hundreds who work for the Oregon Department of Transportation got notice that they're being laid off in what Gov. Tina Kotek called a preventable emergency and the largest round of layoffs in the state government's history. The 483 Oregon Department of Transportation employees who received layoff notices on Monday will be employed until July 31, according to a news release and FAQ from Kotek's office. They constitute the first of what Kotek said would be two rounds of layoffs, and they include road maintenance crews, technical support staff and operations staff. Kotek said Oregonians across the state will feel the impact of those cuts, especially in the winter and especially in rural Oregon, where smaller road crews will be sent to cover larger areas in need of snow plowing, deicing and road clearing after storms. 'Consequences to essential transportation services are imminent across the state. This is not business as usual,' Kotek said. 'These layoffs constitute an emergency in Oregon's transportation system that will hurt every part of Oregon.' The news follows the Oregon Legislature's failure last month to pass a funding bill the Transportation Department needed to maintain staff and close a more than $300 million shortfall. 'This emergency was preventable, and we still have time to intervene,' Kotek said, hinting for the second time in recent weeks that she'll call lawmakers to Salem for an emergency session to work out details of a funding plan. 'Come winter, without a shared commitment to solve this crisis from partners and lawmakers, Oregonians will be left out in the cold — literally,' she said. Over 100 more employees could lose their jobs in a second round of layoffs expected to take place in early 2026, absent legislative action and any unpredictable weather that makes it impossible to lose road crews, according to the news release. The agency is also eliminating 449 vacant positions. In total more than 900 positions at the state transportation agency will be gone. The number of employees and positions to be cut were determined by Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kristopher Strickler, along with Betsy Imholt, director of the Oregon Department of Administrative services and the state's chief operating officer, and Kate Nass, the state's chief financial officer. Strickler in a midnight email to staff June 28, sent just hours after House Republicans voted not to move on a funding bill for the agency, wrote that the Legislature's inability to pass a transportation package to keep the Transportation Department solvent was 'shocking, scary and frustrating,' and that he'd be forced to lay off up to 700 people. Strickler wrote to staff that the email was 'the hardest message I've ever had to send in my career.' He and agency leaders are also planning to scale back purchases of materials and replacing aging agency vehicles, delaying some road repairs, maintenance and road striping projects, and reducing the amount of roadside vegetation management they'd planned, leading to higher wildfire risks, the governor's news release explained. Planned and existing infrastructure projects will be canceled or delayed. Finding a way to fund an agency that relies on gas taxes in a world of growing vehicle electrification, and finding a way to pay for overdue and underfunded road, bridge and public transit projects for the next decade were key priorities for Kotek and Democratic lawmakers in both chambers going into the 2025 session. Democrats proposed House Bill 2025 on June 9 as a solution, with less than three weeks from the June 29 constitutional deadline to end the legislative session. To raise revenue, it would have increased state gas and payroll taxes, hiked vehicle licensing and registration fees, and created new taxes on car sales to generate nearly $14.6 billion for the Oregon Department of Transportation and local governments over 10 years. But by the last day of the session, lawmakers failed even to pass a watered-down version that would've raised $2 billion over the next decade only for the state Transportation Department, by raising the state gas tax 3 cents and increasing licensing and registration fees. Republican lawmakers who stopped a vote on the gas-tax proposal from going forward said they did so because they opposed new taxes that would make it more expensive to live in the state. They also accused Democrats of engaging in a secretive, behind-the-scenes process that left Republicans out of critical discussions on the transportation agency's needs, resulting in bloated proposals shared too late to be considered in the six-month Legislative session. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Portland parks to enforce stricter policy, fees for dog owners with off-leash pets
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The City of Portland has implemented stricter regulations and new fees for residents with off-leash dogs. that a new policy allows officials to immediately hit dog owners with a fine if they fail to put a leash on their pet in areas where leashes are required. The previous policy, established in 2013, directed park rangers to first issue citations for this offense — but officials said the initial warning has made the regulations 'difficult to enforce.' Oregon chef, bakery take home trophies from esteemed James Beard Awards 'Dog off-leash issues are a top concern for many community members all across the city,' PP&R said. 'These policy changes will help keep our parks safe and clean for all park visitors, and make sure they are welcoming for everyone.' Leashed dogs are permitted in most of Portland's public spaces, with the exception of sites including Tanner Springs Park, Mt. Tabor Park amphitheater and sports facilities with artificial and manicured turfs. Officials are more focused on cracking down on dog owners who allow pets to wander freely without a leash in undesignated areas, when there are more than 30 throughout the city. This includes portions of Irving Park, Alberta Park and Cathedral Park. But park rangers won't fine offenders straight away. Gov. Kotek signs POWER Act to shield Oregonians from Big Tech utility bills Staff is now 'piloting the new policy at parks with significant dog off-leash issues,' by informing residents of the changes before penalizing them, PP&R said. The bureau added that rangers could still choose to issue a citation as a first-time warning. Workers can also provide free leashes or poop bag holders to help with the new policy. The potential fine for off-leash dogs and failing to pick up poop ranges from $50 to $150, according to city code. Officials additionally ask pet owners not to bring their dogs to parks if they are 'in heat' or not fully vaccinated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
