Buying a home in Portland requires working some long hours
People in Portland earning the median wage need to work 92 hours a week to afford a median-priced home, according to a new study. That study, conducted by moving company HireAHelper, determined the median hourly wage in Portland is $23.26 and the median home price is $560,474. Most people earning the median wage do not work that many hours a week, meaning they cannot actually afford a median-priced home in Portland. The study found Portland isn’t alone. Workers along much of the West Coast must work longer hours to afford a median-priced home in their communities. The least affordable: San Francisco, where an impossible 174 hours a week is required. (Jim Redden/Portland Tribune)
Eugene 4J to address racial incidents at town hall meeting
Eugene School District 4J is hosting an equity town hall Tuesday night. A poster for the event says it’s to discuss the use of a racial slur in the district’s schools. Some 4J parents say it’s a conversation that’s long overdue. Niyah Ross said her daughter reported a case of the slur in school and was told not to disclose the details. Officials also promised an investigation. She told KLCC, “Nothing has happened that I know, and my kids every day are coming home with feelings of fear, feeling unsafe, feeling not seen, not being heard, and they’re wondering why it’s not being addressed.” (Karen Richards/KLCC)
Ridgefield, La Center officials say ilani casino is a winning hand
Breaking ground on the ilani casino complex west of La Center came after years of fighting and legal challenges from the neighboring cities and businesses, as well as Clark County. Six years later, it appears the relationship between the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, which owns and operates ilani, and government leaders and officials in the region didn’t suffer any long-lasting damage. The casino has meant lower tax revenues from the cardrooms in La Center and no government jurisdictions receive tax revenue from ilani. But officials said the casino helped paved the way for some development in the area, created hundreds of jobs and some tribal donations have helped budgets in cities in like Ridgefield. “They’ve been great community partners,” Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart said. “They really have.” (Shari Phiel/The Columbian)
Latino Community Association celebrates new space in Redmond
Latinos in Redmond have a new place to connect, learn and gain access to other services. Last Friday, the Latino Community Association celebrated opening its new headquarters, moving from the Becky Johnson Community Center into a two-story house at Northwest Cedar Avenue and Northwest 7th Street. Officials said it will serve as a hub for a variety of services, such as workplace navigation, English classes, citizenship classes, translation services, food distribution and computer skills. Most of all, though, they said it’ll be a welcoming place to connect. “It is important so people don’t feel alone,” leadership coordinator Hilda Leon said. It’s a place “where you can come and feel at home and know that there are people that speak your language.” (Joe Siess/CO Media Group)
Snowpack is higher than normal, but lack of rain is worrisome
Oregon’s snowpack — or snow-water equivalent — is 108% of normal. That means it’s just a bit above average for this time of year, compared to the last 30 years. Snowpack is even better in the central Cascade Range east of Salem and Eugene, where it sits at 111% of normal, with a bit more snow on the horizon. But a closer look at the data — and Willamette Valley reservoirs — illustrates this winter has been dry, despite the snow in the mountains. For the water year — since Oct. 1 — Salem has had 21.58 inches of precipitation, compared to the normal average of 27.33 inches. Eugene’s deficit is even more striking, with the city getting 17.04 inches compared to a normal of 27.42 inches. (Zach Urness/Salem Statesman Journal)
