How collaboration is helping fire-prone forests: Guest opinion

The recent annual Oregon Business Plan Summit brought business and community leaders, the governor, and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley together in support of the three primary goals of the 2014 plan: job creation, raising Oregon’s personal income level and reducing Oregon’s poverty rate from 17 percent to 10 percent. A significant focus was … Read more

Milton-Freewater celebrates removal of flood zone designation

Earlier this month, residents of Milton-Freewater watched as flames destroyed paper, maps and photos. The town had gathered at the Lazy MF BBQ for a bonfire — a flood insurance paper-burning bonfire. Three years ago the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared virtually all of the city a flood zone. That designation was repealed in May … Read more

Sweet Home to begin 2-year livability initiative

SWEET HOME — Three representatives from The Conservation Fund and the Federal Highway Administration will arrive in Sweet Home Sunday to begin a three-day look at the community’s strengths and weaknesses as a gateway community to public lands. In September, Sweet Home was named one of four communities in the United States — one in … Read more

Solutions Team’s role in community forest coming to end

The South Santiam Community Forest Corridor Oregon Solutions Team is ready to call it quits – in a manner of speaking – after holding its final planning meeting Monday evening, Dec. 16, at the Sweet Home Community Center. What that actually means is that although the Solutions Team’s days are numbered – specifically by a target … Read more

Anti-poverty initiative gets under way

ONTARIO — The Malheur County Prosperity Impact Pilot Project was launched Thursday during a meeting at the Four Rivers Cultural Center, with a focus on supporting the creation of a career technical education program for local high school students. The event drew business, education and non-profit representatives as well as county and state agency representatives…

Governor brings in reinforcements to help shore up Columbia River levee

The tiny Multnomah County Drainage District is going to get some help figuring out how to strengthen the Portland area’s levee system, which keeps the area south of the Columbia River from being deluged by the river. The 14-employee drainage district faces a federal mandate to recertify the levee system’s safety, under rules that got … Read more

Career technical education plans advance

Treasure Valley Community College’s board of education voted unanimously Tuesday to sign a declaration of cooperation regarding plans for a new career technical education center. The agreement shows commitment from the college to continue moving forward with the project, which was recently chosen by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber as part of an Oregon Solutions Project. … Read more

Poverty to Prosperity advances

ONTARIO — Local residents, businesses and organizations will be asked to put their commitment to the Poverty to Prosperity initiative on the dotted line during a meeting on Nov. 21. Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes, who is leading the Oregon Prosperity Initiative, is scheduled to attend the meeting, which will be at 1:30 p.m. in … Read more

Career education plans proceeding

Ontario — Plans for a career technical education center in Ontario are moving forward, albeit slowly, according to Superintendent Nicole Albisu’s update at last week’s school board meeting. Though still looking for funding, the career technical education center project has been chosen by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber as part of an Oregon Solutions Project, Albisu … Read more