Cunningham to Resign from EWEB Board

EWEB Commissioner Rich Cunningham plans to resign from the position he has held for the past three years, effective March 9, according to EWEB today (Feb. 9). He was not intending to run for re-election in the May primary. Cunningham, who represents Wards 6 and 7, says he and his family are moving to a home in Ward 8, which is currently represented by Commissioner Joann Ernst. Continue reading 

Health Care Gets Occupied

Occupy Eugene is tired of all the talk about the state of America’s health care system and is taking action by treating those in need of medical care for free and connecting them with other community services. On Sunday, Feb. 5, at the corner of 7th and Pearl, OE organizers set up a medical tent outside the old Federal Building with doctors and nurses available for basic medical treatment, and the group has a long-term plan to continue on every Sunday. Continue reading 

Low Income Child Care Faces Cuts

Oregon’s diminishing coffers have put many social services at risk, and Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) is no exception. Money has been set aside for the program, but advocates fear it will get lost in the budget fray. ERDC subsidizes the day care costs of low-income families using a formula that accounts for income and child care costs in a family’s zip code. The income ceiling for a family of four is $40,800 a year. Continue reading 

Poisoned Pollen

Many plants rely on honeybees to pollinate them and facilitate reproduction, but colony collapse disorder (CCD), which is killing about one-third of bee colonies per year nationally, is making it much harder for bees to get their buzz on.  Continue reading 

Wolves in the House (and Senate)

Predator advocates are wary of the latest anti-wolf and anti-cougar bills that have been introduced to the current abbreviated session of the Oregon Legislature and call the bills a waste of time and money. Sally Mackler of Predator Defense says, “This is a session that’s supposed to be focused on the budget and on the economic crisis we are facing. If we had all the time we had spent on the cougar bill we could have fixed the economy by now.” Continue reading