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The iconic Eugenean Hershel Bloom died Jan. 25 in New Philadelphia, Ohio. He was an accomplished artist and musician and worked 30 years at White Bird Clinic. More about him in EW next week. Meanwhile, here's a rare video from an earlier time. Continue reading
Update: arrests have been confirmed, one, LaVoy Finicum, aka "Tarpman," is deceased, according to media reports. Santilli has been arrested. See full press release below. Continue reading
Kelly Gneiting, one of the occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has apparently issues a challenge to Governer Chris Christie (and I'm really hoping that this is as fake as the satirical story about the old birdwatcher pulling a high school wrestling move, but I'm afraid it's not). Continue reading
Above: City Manager Jon Ruiz Checking the public email inboxes of the mayor, city manager and City Council can offer unusual insight. The city emails — open public records — exchanged about Kesey Square/Broadway Plaza and its potential development might confirm the suspicions that many had all along about the process: It's a done deal. Continue reading
OSU has published information this week on research linking endangered primates in the Amazon with carbon sequestration. Continue reading
FBI STATEMENT ON MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SITUATION Continue reading
• OSPIRG Foundation’s new report, “Oregon’s Multi-Million Dollar Democracy,” will be released at 10 am Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza downtown. The report highlights the disparity between large and small donors in Oregon’s 2014 elections and recommends steps to level the playing field. Speakers will include Linda Lynch, president of Lane County League of Women Voters, and Amy Laws of OSPIRG. Continue reading
[Update: This story has been edited Jan. 22 to include a response from the city of Eugene] Slow down. That’s the message citizens of Eugene are emailing to City Manager Jon Ruiz, Mayor Kitty Piercy and the Eugene City Council about Kesey Square and its potential development into an apartment building by a local group, which could happen as soon as this spring. Jan. 15 was the deadline for submission of RFEIs (requests for expression of interest) for Kesey Square. Continue reading
On Dec. 15, the Lane County Board of Commissioners quietly voted on an ordinance that made an already ambiguous policy about who has the right to be on county property even more problematic. Under Chapter 6 of the Lane County Code, “a duly authorized officer,” who could be a board member, the county administrator or “any person delegated the authority to control county property” by those people — and the delegation of authority does need not be in writing — can trespass someone from county property. Continue reading