>>Early in 2024, 11 University of Oregon students over a six-week span reported that someone had spiked their drinks with drugs at fraternity parties. The druggings — known as roofies — target young women who can then be vulnerable to sexual assault. In April, Eugene Weekly reported that UO officials were aware of the druggings but sat mute, refusing to issue timely safety warnings despite a federal law requiring them to do so. EW‘s reporting by Eliza Aronson (“F is for Failure,” 4/11, “Reporting No Evil,” 10/3) shows that UO officials also made a series of false and misleading statements to justify their silence. The drugging cases continue, but UO officials may have seen the light. On Oct. 21, the university issued a timely warning after a student reported an unknown substance was added to her drink at an Alpha Tau Omega party three days earlier. The student required medical attention. “I want to stress that the drugging allegations in winter term revealed gaps in the university’s reporting structures,” Assistant Director of Issues Management Eric Howald said in an email to EW. “We have addressed those issues with updated training for individuals who might receive reports and by putting a team in place that reviews Clery-reportable crimes to determine if the community needs to be alerted to a threat.”
>>Also, Lane Community College recently changed its interpretation of what staff should do if they find out a student has a pregnancy related condition after EW reporter Emma J Nelson wrote about concerns people had over being told they could provide the student’s email to the Title IX coordinator without notifying the student first. Staff recently got an email with new instructions simply stating they should “provide the Title IX Coordinator’s contact information to the student.”
>>Did you vote yet? Thank you to all the democracy lovers out there who have voted and stopped by the Weekly’s office at 1251 Lincoln Street to get an “I Voted” button. The “Hot Girls Vote” and “I Voted, Hell Yeah!” buttons are the most popular. The Nov. 5 election is drawing near and we have a democracy to save. Check out EW’s “Endorsements at a Glance” this issue. Also read our coverage of the Cottage Grove mayor and city council race at EugeneWeekly.com.
>>Sabrina Ionescu finally got her big title. The former University of Oregon great teamed with another former Duck, Nyara Sabally, to help lead the New York Liberty to a WNBA championship Oct. 20 over the Minnesota Lynx. It was a tough and dramatic five-game series that featured, among other things, a winning three-point shot from Ionescu in Game 3 with one second left. Minnesota won Game 4 to even the series, setting up New York’s 67-62 overtime win in Game 5. Ionescu, of course, was the star of Oregon’s 2019-20 team that many believe would have won the NCAA title until that tournament was canceled due to COVID. It was good to see Ionescu hoist the trophy. Also in sports, Oregon men’s football is number one in the country for the first time in 12 years.
>>This week in news coverage we are watching: KLCC reports that Eugene has taken a step back on the proposed biofuel transfer station off Bethel Drive in the Trainsong neighborhood of west Eugene. The station would have loaded biofuels from railcars onto an estimated 40 trucks per day, and neighbors expressed environmental concerns. The Register-Guard reports a Eugene woman was arraigned in court Oct. 17 “on 46 counts of second-degree animal neglect more than a year after dozens of cats were found abandoned inside a vacated apartment.” And everybody is reporting the closure of longtime Oregon diner chain staple Shari’s Cafe and Pies.