• Oregon industrial hemp growers will likely be happy with amendments to House Bill 4060 which passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Feb. 11, has had its third reading and is up for a vote in the full House soon. The new hemp rules are significantly relaxed over existing rules and an earlier version of the bill. Growing or handling hemp will still require an annual state license, record-keeping and random testing for maximum THC levels. If the bill passes the Legislature, the minimum 2.5-acre planting rule will go away and hemp growers will be able to use greenhouses, clone desirable plants from cuttings and cultivate all varieties of hemp, even those with high levels of cannabidiol, which is not an intoxicant and is used primarily for medicinal purposes. The legislation has the support of the Oregon Farm Bureau and a number of state lawmakers, including Rep. Val Hoyle and Sens. Floyd Prozanski and Lee Beyer. 

• Smiles Dental clinics in Oregon, Washington and Alaska are offering free dental care Friday, Feb. 19. The Eugene office is located at 2201 Willamette Street, Suite A. Local residents are being offered one-hour sessions that can be used for a variety of dental services that do not require additional lab work. Reservations will be taken by phone one day only, Thursday, Feb. 18, by calling 343-3722. Last year the clinic served 30 residents with free dental care valued at nearly $14,000.

• Reality Kitchen and the Eugene Barista School (formally Eugene Coffee Company) have teamed up again to offer a “Barista Basics” class for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The current classes are already under way and include instruction on order taking, specialty coffee making and also customer service, according to Sue Harnley, owner and trainer at the school. Email eugenebaristaschool@gmail.com for more information or visit realitykitchen.org.