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About North Douglas herald. (Drain Or) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2024)
Page 2 February 2024 February, 2024 Volume 2, Issue #2 The North Douglas Herald Newspaper is published once a month in Drain Oregon. The North Douglas Herald is owned and operated by Oregonians, published and printed in the State of Oregon. It is our mission to bring the news and information that our Readers will find pertinent, useful and with some insight to our common values and sensibilities. Total Print run of the Herald is currently 3500 issues. Subscriptions are currently at 2791. Sub- scription are free to Douglas county and Lane county residents. Out of County Subscriptions are $7.50 for 6 months and $12.00 per year. Subscriptions can be obtained online at: www.ndherald.com/subs.html Free Classifieds for Lane and Douglas county residents can be entered at: www.ndherald.com/classifieds.html To submit Photos, Recipes, Jokes, Cartoons, artwork and the like: send email to editor@ndherald.com All online submissions can be sent and de- livered to the any one of the following depart- ments: editor@ndherald.com submissions@ndherald.com| schoolnews@ndherald.com classifieds@ndherald.com reports@ndherald.com churchdirectory@ndherald.com citydesk@ndherald.com news@ndherald.com sales@ndherald.com vitalstatistics@ndherald.com If you would like to receive a bundle of newspapers to distribute to your customers or visitors to your location, please go to: www.ndherald.com/locations.html If you see breaking news or if you have a news report, you can email to news@ndherald.com. Any photo attach- ments preferred in .jpg or .pdf format. Free Papers can be found, upon availability, in all of the following town’s and these fine establishments Drain Rays Food Place, 308 N 1st St Country Cabin Coffee & Laundry, 438 W “B” Ave Hwy38 The Rose Bar, 413 Umpqua Hwy 38 Mildred Whipple Library, 205 W. “A” Ave Drain Post Office, 228 W. “C” Ave Yoncalla Eagle Valley Supply, 2570 Eagle Valley Rd Food Center & Deli, 2580 Eagle Valley Rd Elkton Arlene’s Cafe & General Store 14858 State HWY 38 Elkton Station 14940 State HWY 38 Scottsburg Riverbanks Speedy Mart 32841 State HWY 38 Reedsport Jacks Barber Shoppe, 1199 Highway Ave, TRMF Smokes, 1898 Winchester Ave. US-101 Don’s Main Street Family Restaurant, 2115 US-101 Recreation Station, 1575 Winchester Ave US-101 S Creative Mercantile, 392 Fir Ave Lower Umpqua Library, 395 Winchester Ave. Cottage Grove Old Mill Farm Store, 327 South River Rd Kwik Pik Market #2, 925 E Gibbs Ave Daves Corner Market, 633 N 9th St Dari Mart, 1200 E Main St Cottage Market, 603 OR HWY-99 Medication Station, 1041 N Pacific HWY-99 Winchester Bay Beck’s Winchester Bay Market, 245 8th St Pelican Market, 75298 Pacific Coast HWY US-101 Oakland Bart’s Oakland Market, 204 SE 1st St Sutherlin Kwik Pik Market & Deli, 551 W Central Ave Smitty’s Food Mart & Deli, 1367W Central Ave Center Market, 1230 W Central Ave Center Market #32, 206 E Central Ave S-Mart, 333 E Central Ave Central Food Mart, 1021 E Central Ave North Douglas Herald PO Box 581 Drain OR 97435 541 221-3283 www.ndherald.com New Oregon Laws for 2024 Effective Jan 1st, from the Oregon Legislature Story by Scooter Brown Salem OR - 2023 for many Oregonians was a year of crisis. A worsening addiction crisis, an ongoing housing shortage, the inability to staff core services like public defense. To meet that crisis, lawmakers wanted immediate action. Many of the most prominent bills passed in the 2023 legislative session were enacted well before Jan. 1, the default date for new policies to take effect. Below find a few of the laws that took effect on January 1st, 2024. Speed cameras throughout Oregon: Autonomous “photo radar” units have, until now, only been legal in 10 cities in Oregon. But with speeding and other unsafe driving increasing since COVID-19, the Legislature is now letting every city in the state get in on the action. House Bill 2095 eased limitations on when and where speed cameras can be installed, offering them as an option as long as cities foot the bill to run them. Changes to DUII law: It’s long been illegal to drive drunk or under the influence of illicit drugs, but that didn’t necessarily encompass some substances that can impact driving ability, such as kratom, a herbal substance that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects. With House Bill 2316, lawmakers expanded the definition of “intoxicant” under state law to account for that blind spot. The bill also reduced fines and other penalties for people caught bicycling while under the influence, reasoning that they pose less of a danger to others than someone behind the wheel. Those carve-outs don’t apply if a person has a blood alcohol content of at least 0.15% or is riding an e-bike. Tweaks to Measure 110: These days, much of the discussion over Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization law centers around whether the state should reverse course as overdoses soar. But during this year’s session, Democrats were focused more on what small changes Measure 110 might need. The result was House Bill 2315, which made a variety of changes that increased the Oregon Health Authority’s role in getting state funding to addiction services around the state. Expect drug policy to continue to be a central issue in the 2024 legislative session. New tax breaks for kids: Beginning this year, low-income families can pursue a new tax credit aimed at combating early childhood poverty. The Oregon Kids Credit, passed via House Bill 3235, grants credits of $1,000 for every child under 6 years old for families that make $25,000 or less. Reduced credits are available if a family makes up to $30,000 a year. Since the credits are refundable, they can be awarded even if a family pays no or little tax. Laws targeting “paramilitary activity” and “domestic terrorism”: With violent clashes on the streets of Portland in recent years and a spate of attacks on the Pacific Northwest’s power grid, lawmakers were concerned about extremism in 2023. House Bill 2572 allows the attorney general to investigate organized paramilitary activity and to petition a judge to block planned paramilitary activities that aim to intimidate others or infringe on free speech. It also creates a right to sue for anyone injured by a paramilitary group. House Bill 2772 created a new class of felony crime for “domestic terrorism,” activity that includes damaging “critical infrastructure” or dispersing toxic substances. Cracking down on shoplifting: Changes to laws against organized retail theft included in Senate Bill 340 make it easier for prosecutors to charge repeat shoplifters and to seek higher penalties. The bill was one of several to emerge from a sprawling task force that took up the problem of organized shoplifting, where thieves work in concert and sell their goods online. Both Nike and Target shuttered stores in Portland in 2023, citing shoplifting as a central concern. Streamlining housing conversions: As Gov. Tina Kotek sets lofty goals for ratcheting up housing production and development in Oregon, lawmakers have been looking for ways to help. House Bill 2984 is one idea. It requires local governments to greenlight the conversion of commercial buildings into housing without throwing up the normal bureaucratic hurdles. The law applies only to cities of at least 10,000 people and such developments can’t cut into land zoned for heavy industry. Insurance immunity for wildfire maps: The state saw intense backlash in 2022 when it released a map showing areas that were most prone to wildfire risk. A concern among many critics: that the map could be used to ramp up premiums on their homeowners insurance, or even to end their policies. Senate Bill 82 is an attempt to address this. It prohibits insurance companies from using wildfire risk maps to make such policy decisions. Senate Republicans can not run for office again after walkout Story by Milo Banks Salem OR - Oregon Senate Republicans who participated in a historic 2023 walkout will not be allowed to run for office again, the Oregon Supreme Court announced Thursday morning. In 2023, nine Oregon Senate Republicans walked off the job for 42 days in protest of a bill that protected abortion rights and gender-affirming health care. Oregon Supreme Court announced Thursday morning that those senators who walked out will, not be allowed to run for office again. Following the walkout, the Oregon Secretary of State ruled participating senators would be unable to run for office immediately after the current term due to Measure 113. Voter-approved Measure 113 mandates that “any state legislator who accrues 10 or more unexcused absences during a legislative session shall be disqualified from holding legislative office” immediately following the current term. The nine Senators petitioned against the Secretary of State’s upholding of the measure following the walkout. -Oregon Supreme Court The Republicans argued that Measure 113’s wording was ambiguous when voted upon by voters, and they didn’t support the Secretary’s interpretation and enforcement of the rule after the walkout. The Supreme Court states that it is upholding the Secretary’s interpretation and that the Republicans who participated in the walkout will be unable to run for office again. The Court says “that the ballot measure history uniformly supported the Secretary’s interpretation,” and that “the ballot title and the voters’ pamphlet expressly and repeatedly informed voters that the disqualification would occur immediately following the legislator’s current term.” The Court concluded that voters would have understood the disqualification to apply to the term of office immediately following the term in which a legislator accrued 10 or more unexcused absences. A total of nine Republicans and one Independent senator who staged the record-long six- week legislative walkout in 2023 cannot file for re-election in 2024 or 2026. North Douglas Herald Government Know your local Representatives! Drain Mayor: Erin Sparhawk Council Position #1: Grant Vaughan Council Position #2: Kevin VanPelt Council Position #3: Katie Decker Council Position #4: Aaron Lymath City Administrator: Jeni Stevens City Council Meeting:02/12/24 6pm Yoncalla Mayor: Kathleen Wertz Councilors: Dan Wagoner Gene Vroman Harold Gilpin Bryce Wertz City Administrator: Jennifer Bragg Council Meeting: 02/13/24, 6pm Elkton Mayor: Daniel Burke Council President: Joan Smith Council Members: Kim Moore Dan Shepherd Sandra Galli Public Works Supervisor: Gary Trout Council Meeting:02/08,/24, 8:30am Oakland Mayor: Bette Keehley Counselor: Jan Wier Counselor: Kent Rochester Counselor: Sky Ironplow Counselor: Betty Tamm Council Meeting: 02/13/24 7pm Sutherlin Mayor : Michelle Sumner Council President Debbie Hamilton Councilor Lisa Woods Councilor Joe Groussman Councilor Larry Whitaker Councilor Shawn Smalley Councilor Gary Dagel City Manager Jerry Gillham Council Meeting: 02/12/24 7:15pm Reedsport Mayor : Linda McCollum Council Position #1: Rob Wright Council Position #2: DeeDee Murphy Council Position #3: Chuck Miller Council Position #4: Allen Teitzel Council Position #5: Rich Patten Council Position #6: Debby Turner Council Meeting: 02/12/24 7:15pm Cottage Grove Mayor: Candace Solesbee Councilor Ward 1: Chalice Savage Councilor Ward 2: Jon Stinnett Councilor Ward 3: Dana Merryday Councilor Ward 4: Greg Ervin Councilor: Mike Fleck Councilor: Alex Dreher Council Meeting;: 02/12/24 - 7:00pm 02/26/24 - 7:00pm County State & Federal Douglas County Commisioners: Tom Kress(Chair) Tim Freeman Chris Boice Jennifer Miller Lane County Commissioners: Dist 1: Ray Ceniga Dist 2: David Lovall Dist 3: Laurie Trieger Dist 4: Pat Farr Dist 5: Heather Buch Oregon House Representative: District 02: Virgle Osborne Oregon State Senator: District 1: David Brock Smith U.S. Senate Oregon: Jeff Merkley Ron Wyden U.S House of Representatives: District 4: Val Hoyle Secretary of State: LaVonne Griffin-Valade Attorney General: Ellen Rosenblum Governor: Tina Kotek Vice-President: Kamala Harris President: Joe Biden It is important to know your representation in your State, Districts and Municipalities. RE- MEMBER it is vital to your freedoms to vote.If you would like to have your own towns municipal officers listed please send title & names only to citydesk@ndherald.com
