• Eugene Weekly announced in our last issue that Elisha Young, our former office manager, was indicted by a Lane County grand jury on five felony counts in our embezzlement case. One question we have gotten is why did it take so long? First, we notified the Eugene police, then it was on us to arrange for the forensic accounting, and that accounting took a while. The expense of the accounting, plus fear of public embarrassment, is why many businesses do not pursue embezzlement cases despite how common they are. Then reams of documentation were handed over to EPD’s financial crimes unit, which needed to go through the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she wasn’t supposed to take the money. Next, a grand jury was convened and issued the indictment. After that, prosecutors and law enforcement arranged for extradition with Ohio, and then it took time for police to actually find her — which they did via a license plate scan — and arrest her there.
• Sorry, Natural Grocers shoppers! You can no longer pick up your Eugene Weekly there. The corporate office — not the local folks who work on Coburg Road — recently informed us of that. The local employees tried to keep us there but to no avail. Recently, an EW reader was told that we pulled the papers ourselves because Natural Grocers isn’t local. Not true — we love having papers and red boxes in the spots where it works for you to pick them up! See a good location for a box or rack? Give us a call 541-484-0519 or email Circulation@EugeneWeekly.com. Want your Weekly in the mail? Go to Support.eugeneweekly.com and click EW subscriptions.
• First in June 2023 and again in January 2024, a jury ordered PacifiCorp to pay millions in damages after it found the utility company to have been reckless and negligent in the 2020 wildfires that destroyed homes and tore lives apart. Victims of the fires still have not seen the money that they need to make them whole again. Forty-eight people signed up to give emotional testimony on Senate Bill 926 A on Monday, May 12, at a public hearing of the Oregon Legislature’s House Judiciary Committee. Speakers — some choking back tears — talked about losing homes, animals and livelihoods. Among other things, SB 926 A prevents the utilities from distributing dividends and passing on costs and expenses to rebuild their equipment until victims are compensated — they don’t get to go back to business as usual while the victims still struggle. The bill has already passed the Senate on a 22-6 highly bi-partisan vote and it is now in the House.
• Also in the Legislature are a couple bills that affect journalists and newspapers! SB 686 would require large tech companies to compensate newsrooms for the local journalism on platforms like Google and Meta’s Facebook. Possible downside? Meta cuts Oregon newspapers off from its platforms as it has done in Canada. Possible upsides? Money to staff newsrooms that actually produce the stories. We like that idea! A less likeable bill is HB 3564, introduced by freshman lawmaker Darin Harbick after his attorney issued a retraction demand to Eugene Weekly for our coverage of his son and legislative aid, Tyler Harbick, and the Jan. 6 uprising. EW covered the story twice — and requested comment — but the demand only came after a brief mention in a third story. The bill seeks to give people more time to get an attorney to come after news sources, something the Greater Oregon Society of Professional Journalists pointed out in a recent hearing could be chilling to small newsrooms.
• Check out our pieces this week on winners of Eugene Arts and Business Alliance’s BRAVA — Business Recognizing Arts Vision and Achievement — awards! Humble brag, EW is the winner of the Dave Hauser Business of the Year! In addition to Vanessa Fuller of Xcape Dance Company (page 7) and Fermata Dance Collective (page 16), Dr. Don Dexter Gallery and The Shedd/QSL Print Communications are award winners. Come celebrate 5 pm May 20 at the Hult Center! And as long as we are on the topic of arts and culture, City Club of Eugene noon May 16 at the WOW Hall is all about the Oregon Country Fair.
• There’s a new sheriff in town! OK, actually there’s not, but Lane County Sheriff Cliff Harold announced he is retiring and taking a job at PeaceHealth, so applications are indeed open. To be sheriff the qualifications are weirdly low. You have to be 21 or older, a legal Oregon voter, a resident of Lane County for at least two years before the term would begin and have at least four years’ experience as a full-time law enforcement officer or at least two years’ experience as a full-time law enforcement officer with at least two years of post-high school education — and finally, have or be eligible to obtain certification from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. After being appointed, the candidate would have to run for office in the 2026 election.