Artificial intelligence makes Bachelor butt dials
A new feature on Apple iPhones and smart watches can automatically call emergency services if the device detects what it thinks is a car crash. Sudden stops or changes in speed set off the crash detection, which has led to several accidental 911 calls from skiers at Mt. Bachelor and other Cascade resorts ripping down the slopes. Emergency managers say they’ve fielded lots of false alarms from skiers and snowboarders with crash detection turned on, but that it hasn’t become a problem and could actually be helpful. (Bryce Dole/The Bulletin)
Court Boice goes to Salem
Commissioners from Coos, Curry and Douglas counties have chosen Court Boice as the next state representative for southwest Oregon. Boice is presently a Curry County commissioner — he abstained from the vote — who ran for governor as a Republican. Boice will replace David Brock Smith, who has moved from the House to the Senate seat vacated by Dallas Heard. Boice has touted his experience in wildfire prevention and natural resources and hopes to focus on agriculture, housing and land use in the Legislature. (Roman Battaglia/Jefferson Public Radio)
Oregon considers changes to ‘use it or lose it’ water law
Irrigators who don’t use their water right at least once every five years can lose it under Oregon’s forfeiture law. Water rights allow land users to draw from ground or surface water, which is owned by the public under Oregon law. A bill before the Legislature would create an exemption to the use-it-or-lose-it rule if the governor declares the irrigator’s county is experiencing or is likely to experience a drought. That would mean irrigators could forgo using their water right when supply is low and not have it count toward the five-year rule for water rights cancellation. (Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press)
Pocket-sized translators help English learners in Gervais
A small device called PocketTalk is helping 20 students in the Gervais School District north of Salem bridge language barriers between their peers and teachers. The district received a $10,000 federal grant to purchase the devices. The software is similar to that used at the United Nations. It allows a teacher to speak in English and the student to hear and read the lecture in their native tongue. (Brian Hayes/Statesman Journal)
Lillard earns 7th All-Star bid of his career
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is headed to another NBA All-Star Game after coaches voted him in as a reserve for the Western Conference. Lillard went on a heater in January, averaging 34.5 points per game, including a 60-piece against the Utah Jazz. Portland rookie guard Shaedon Sharpe will join Lillard in Salt Lake City to compete in the dunk contest, which teammate Anfernee Simons won in 2021. (Austin White/The Portland Tribune)
