Winter storms across the Pacific Northwest made for slick roads and slow-moving traffic over Mt. Hood on Dec. 27, 2021.
Conrad Wilson / OPB
ODOT encourages drivers to be ready for winter driving
As the calendar flips into November and winter weather looms on the horizon, the Oregon Department of Transportation is reminding motorists to be prepared for adverse driving conditions. Travelers are being urged to have winter gear in their vehicles, including warm clothing, flashlights, blankets, ice scrapers and chains they know how to use. “We are always encouraging drivers to be prepared,” Tom Strandberg, a public information officer for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said. “We encourage people to practice putting their chains on in a safe location before they need to use them.” (Dick Mason/La Grande Observer)
Vancouver police investigate officer’s comments on transgender people in campaign speech
A Vancouver police officer who is running for Clark County sheriff is now under investigation for comments about transgender people that he made during a recent campaign stop. The probe comes after an online petition surfaced with more than 700 signatures calling for the Vancouver Police Department to fire the officer, Cpl. Rey Reynolds. “Officer Reynolds claimed that as a VPD officer, he was legally allowed to arrest transgender citizens simply for being trans,” the petition states. Reynolds said he doesn’t recall making such a statement. The police department’s Professional Standards Unit is investigating. (Becca Robbins/The Columbian)
Oregon State Hospital gets second extension to fix worker safety violations
A deadline for Oregon State Hospital to correct workplace safety violations has been extended for a second time. The hospital now has until Feb. 28 to make those corrections after an investigation by Oregon Occupational Safety and Health in September found one willful and two other-than-serious violations. According to the agency, the state hospital was failing to investigate and implement preventative measures for frequent patient assaults on employees, which often result in employee injury. The agency also noted the hospital’s insufficient documentation of employee injuries and wounds. (Sydney Wyatt/Salem Statesman Journal)
Looking at abandoned and unused corners of ‘Main Street’ Oregon
As you explore almost any Main Street in Oregon, you may be curious as to why so many active storefronts and businesses are on the ground floor, but why so many upstairs spaces are dark and vacant. Now there’s an effort to change that. A new report looked at 33 Main Street communities across Oregon, including diving into why so many upper stories — almost half — go unused. The report, called “What’s Up Downtown? A Playbook for Activating Oregon’s Upper Stories,” was released by Oregon Heritage and the University of Oregon’s Institute for Policy Research & Engagement. (Brian Bull/KLCC)
Rene Gonzalez, left, challenged incumbent Jo Ann Hardesty in the May 17 election for Portland City Council Position 3.
Courtesy of the campaigns
Gonzalez blames Hardesty for campaign HQ vandalism in tense race for Portland City Council
The campaign for Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez is accusing incumbent Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty of inciting vandalism over the weekend to its downtown campaign headquarters. Windows of the headquarters were shattered late Saturday. The Gonzalez campaign says the property damage followed a Hardesty campaign mailing falsely accusing Gonzalez of being a right-wing Republican. Hardesty campaign manager Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons called the accusation “ridiculous.” Although city council seats are nonpartisan, the Hardesty campaign recently sent out a mass mailer identifying her as “True Blue” — code for Democrat — and strongly suggesting Gonzalez is a Republican with far-right ties, even though he is a registered Democrat. (Jim Redden/Portland Tribune)
