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Camilla Mortensen is the longtime local editor of Eugene Weekly, the area’s alternative newspaper. The paper, which has been in print since 1982 (originally as What’s Happening) continues to print more than 27,000 copies a week in addition to its popular email newsletters and website. Camilla has a masters degree in folklore and mythology from UCLA and a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of Oregon. She has been a reporter and editor at EW since 2007 and teaches journalism at the UO in the mornings before heading to the Weekly’s office. She also teaches newswriting at Lane Community College and advises The Torch student newspaper.
About 1,400 wild horses are currently being gathered (aka rounded up) via helicopter from Oregon’s public lands in an area known as Beaty’s Butte on Oregon’s east side. Wild horse advocates are questioning the management of the area and what will ultimately happen to the mustangs once they have been removed from the range. Continue reading
Since the day Brian Babb was shot by a member of the Eugene Police Department, the veteran’s family has questioned the events and policies that led to Babb’s death. However, Eugene’s police auditor Mark Gissiner says a flawed report by the Lane County Interagency Deadly Force Investigation Team (IDFIT) means the family still doesn’t have closure, and indicates to Gissiner that the way deadly force investigations are handled in Lane County needs a number of improvements. Continue reading
Every year, a local conservation group turns an otherwise staid meeting hall into a winter wonderland. It’s not so much the decorations — if there are any, aside from nicely draped tables, I’ve never noticed — but rather the spirit with which the 300 or so attendees show up ready to enjoy themselves and spend money to support Cascadia Wildlands and its work to preserve Oregon’s forests and ecosystems. Continue reading
On Friday Nov. 20, the UO's chapter of Young American for Liberty is hosting a poker night on campus with raffle prizes of a two handguns and a rifle. According to a Facebook event page, YAL believes the university's gun ban "puts students in danger." And the free poker night seeks to "spur a campus wide discussion on gun rights and the right to protect yourself on campus." Continue reading
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley is feeling the burn — of climate change. But maybe he’s feeling the Bern, too. Merkley teamed up with presidential candidate and fellow Sen. Bernie Sanders on Nov. 4 to introduce new climate change legislation. The “Keep It In the Ground Act” would end all new federal leases for oil, gas or coal extraction on public lands and waters. Continue reading
In the latest update on the long-simmering debate over large events — think music concerts and Faerieworlds — at Lane County Parks, the County Commission has voted to approve all the recommendations of the Large Events Task Force. You can see the members of the task force and other information at the county website here. The full press release is below. Continue reading
As President Obama heads toward his last year in office, he has been stepping up his actions on climate change. Today he he announced he has said no to the Keystone XL pipeline. Earlier this week, the State Department had turned down Canadian company TransCanada's request to delay government review of the pipeline, fueling speculations the Obama administration would reject it. Continue reading
It’s halfway though fall term and Michael Schill has been UO president since July 1. He’s five months into his term as the fifth president (counting interim leaders, too) in five years, something that has led the Chronicle of Higher Education to call the Ducks’ leadership position a “revolving door.” Schill met with members of EW’s editorial board Oct. 30 to talk about some of the UO’s current occupations. Continue reading
When Ali Emami steps outside his store on Willamette Street, he can look into the neighboring public plaza and see the statue of Ken Kesey. He says he remembers chatting with sculptor Pete Helzer in 2003 when Helzer was working on the bronze artwork officially known as “The Storyteller.” Continue reading
“Right now at this moment a coyote is strangling in a neck snare or a wolf is struggling in a leghold trap,” says Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense and one of the nonprofit’s founders. The predator advocacy group is celebrating 25 years of work to protect coyotes, wolves, cougars and other predators on Nov. 5 with movies and a Q&A at the Bijou Art Cinemas on 13th Avenue. Continue reading