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About Oregon news herald. (Drain OR) 2025-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2025)
Vol 3 Issue #11 December 2025 Can Oregon’s New A.I. Accelerator Spark the Next Wave of Innovation? Story by Rusty Savage While some parts of Oregon’s economy are slowing, a brand-new initiative is aiming to light a fire under the state’s innovation sector. The Oregon A.I. Accelerator, launched this month with support from Business Oregon, university partners, and several tech companies, hopes to grow the next generation of artificial-intelligence startups — and maybe create new pathways for Oregon workers along the way. For a state known more for lumber, manufacturing, Formerly the North Douglas Herald FREE and outdoor recreation than algorithms, this marks a significant pivot. The Accelerator is designed to help entrepreneurs build products, access technical training, refine business models, and eventually pursue investment. And while the program is centered in the Portland metro area, organizers say it’s built for all Oregonians — including rural founders who may have been shut out of traditional tech pipelines. The excitement comes at a moment when big tech employers, like Intel, are scaling back. Continued on Page 7 Gas-Tax Showdown: Oregonians Push Back as Emergency Transportation Bill Faces Referendum Friday-Night Lights Across Western Oregon A Look Back at a Hard-Fought Season High school 1A football playoffs, North Douglas vs. Lyle, 11-07-25 Photo by Nathan Miller Photography Story by Rusty Savage From Drain to Elkton, Yoncalla to the Coast, this fall’s high-school football season brought out the kind of small-town pride that makes Friday nights glow a little brighter in Western Oregon. Before the spotlight swung to the larger-school divisions in the Willamette Valley, the smallest programs in Douglas County showed they still know how to put on a show. North Douglas had one of its strongest seasons in years. The Warriors muscled their way to an impressive run that included big wins over Mohawk, Camas Valley, Glendale and a decisive early-season victory over Powder Valley. Their 8–3 overall record had locals in the Umpqua Valley cheering on cold nights, proud to see the small 8-man squad playing with big-team confidence. For a school where players often take snaps on both sides of the ball, the stamina and grit were impossible to miss. Just down the road, the Elkton Elks delivered a powerhouse campaign of their own. They rolled through the back half of the schedule with dominant wins over Powers, North Lake, McKenzie and Crow. Their defense tightened as the season progressed, a big reason Elkton entered the postseason on a full-tilt winning streak. In Elkton, every game is a community event, and this year the town had plenty to celebrate. Yoncalla took a tougher road, with a rebuilding roster that gained experience the hard way. A September loss Continuee on Page 9 Click, Ship, Scam: Holiday Fraudsters Zero In on Oregon Shoppers Story by Rusty Savage Story by Rusty Savage Oregon’s transportation debate has hit a sharp curve, as the state’s new emergency funding bill—intended to keep ODOT afloat—has sparked a wave of public backlash, a massive petition drive, and the likelihood that voters, not lawmakers, will ultimately decide the fate of Oregon’s gas-tax increase. Earlier this year, the Oregon Department of Transportation warned that without new revenue it faced a deepening shortfall. Agency officials outlined the potential consequences: layoffs, reduced snow-plow operations, delayed road-safety work, and possible closure of rural service yards. For residents across Western Oregon—from Roseburg to Albany and out to the Coast—the prospect of fewer crews on the roads raised real concerns, especially heading into winter. In response, lawmakers passed an emergency transportation bill aimed at stopping the fiscal slide. After briefly holding off, Governor Tina Kotek signed the measure, which raises Oregon’s gas tax from 40 to 46 cents per gallon, increases vehicle registration and title fees, and adds a temporary payroll tax on certain transit-supporting employers. Supporters say the plan restores financial stability and secures roughly $4.3 billion in transportation planning over the next decade. But if the bill moved quickly through the Legislature, the public reaction moved even faster. Within days of the governor’s signature, a grassroots coalition launched the No Tax Oregon petition campaign, aiming to gather the 78,100 valid signatures needed to refer the tax increases to a statewide vote. Volunteers set up tables outside grocery stores, feed stores, coastal cafés, and small-town post offices. Many reported long lines of people waiting to sign. By late November, organizers claimed more than 150,000 signatures— nearly double what the law requires. At a signing table behind a farm-supply store near Junction City, one man summed up the sentiment shared by many rural residents: “I don’t mind paying more if it keeps the plows running,” he said. “But they could’ve talked to us first. Six cents a gallon adds up for folks who actually have to drive to get Continued on Page 7 Holiday season – for many of us, it’s a time for gifts, parties, and a little extra online shopping. But for cyber-crooks and scam artists, it’s like Christmas came early. As mailboxes, shipping docks and bank accounts fill up, so do the scammers’ pockets – especially here in Oregon. Consumer watchdogs say the numbers tell the story. In the 12 months ending last fall, more than 50,000 reports from Oregon consumers about fraud, identity theft and related problems landed with federal regulators. Cybercrime victims in this state alone lost more than $100 million in a single year, and that is just what people actually reported. Nationwide, online scams and internet crimes drained roughly $16 billion from victims last year. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation has been warning that scammers are sharpening their tools for the holidays. They are no longer just sending clumsy emails with bad spelling. Fraudsters now use artificial intelligence to clone voices and generate fake videos, letting them pose as grandchildren, bosses, pastors, even government agents. The pitch is usually the same: there’s a problem that needs money, and it needs it right now. Police and sheriff’s departments across the state are seeing the fallout. In Central Oregon, Bend Police say they have taken hundreds of scam-related calls this year, ranging from phony delivery notices and “missed package” texts to callers pretending to be from law enforcement or the courts. In one small-town deli, the owner says thieves tried stolen cards at the gas pumps and inside the store within minutes of a victim being fooled. Some of the worst stories never make it past the kitchen table. In Eastern Oregon, one woman was convinced over time to convert her savings into gold bars and hand them over to supposed “law enforcement” agents who claimed her bank account was compromised. Continued on Page 7
