Lawsuit dismissed that alleges state has been warehousing patients in private hospitals
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit from four of Oregon’s largest hospital systems alleging state health officials are improperly warehousing civilly committed patients in private hospitals. U.S. Judge Michael Mosman on Tuesday dismissed arguments from the health systems that the Oregon State Hospital’s admissions crunch is saddling them with patients they can’t properly care for, while violating the patients’ civil rights. Mosman wrote in his order that the “Health Systems do not have standing to bring claims on behalf of their civilly committed patients.” The order comes at a time when hospitals complain that they are bearing costs caused by lack of beds elsewhere in the state’s health care system. Hospitals around the state have been boarding hundreds of patients without reimbursement. Most are not civilly committed; others can’t be discharged because facilities offering lower levels of care, such as skilled nursing facilities, won’t accept them. (Jake Thomas/The Lund Report)
New sea lion docks are headed to Newport
Five months ago, winter storms destroyed a popular tourist destination on Oregon’s coastline: the sea lion docks on Newport’s waterfront. Now, thanks to nearly $80,000 from more than 200 donors, brand new docks have been purchased and should arrive in about a month. The sea lions are expected to return in August, once again providing the chorus of barking familiar to tourists and the waterfront businesses that rely on them. “It’s been pretty quiet and less smelly,” Janell Goplen of the Newport Sea Lion Docks Foundation said. “But they’ll be back and we’ll have docks for them to come back from their migration and it’ll all be very entertaining once again.” (Brian Bull/KLCC)
Prescribed burn east of Eugene is now a wildfire
A prescribed burn jumped its perimeter on Tuesday and has now been declared a wildfire in the Willamette National Forest. U.S. Forest Service officials say the fire was being conducted on 65 acres near the McKenzie River Ranger Station off of Highway 126, about 55 miles east of Eugene. They say gusty winds picked up and caused two spot fires on national forest land. As of Wednesday morning, the total fire perimeter was estimated at about 120 acres. It was declared a wildfire so more firefighters could be deployed to help contain it. Officials say residents and visitors in the McKenzie River Corridor may see or smell smoke, but it should clear out by Wednesday evening. (OPB Staff)
Portland opens fifth Safe Rest Village
The Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village has opened and quickly filled with 67 residents, Portland officials announced May 26. All the residents, referred to as “villagers,” were living along the Peninsula Crossing trail. That bike and pedestrian trail has been a major tent encampment in the neighborhood. The trail will be closed through June 16 “for Portland Parks & Recreation to determine and act on trail restoration needs,” the city said. The site is the largest of Portland’s Safe Rest Villages, with 60 pods. Most pods are occupied by single adults, but a few will shelter couples. Residents are typically expected to stay between six and nine months. (Anna Del Savio/Portland Tribune)
Oregon farm direct rules updated despite Senate stalemate
A comprehensive overhaul of Oregon’s farm direct marketing law has cleared the Legislature with broad bipartisan support. On May 25, the House unanimously passed Senate Bill 507, which updates the rules for farmers who sell food directly to consumers without state food safety inspections. The proposal was approved by the Senate before a protest by Republican lawmakers began in early May, which has stopped bills from passing the chamber by denying it a quorum. A signature from Gov. Tina Kotek would allow the bill to take effect later this year, which is likely since the proposal didn’t encounter any opposition. (Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press)
A young sunflower sea star is spotted at Haystack Rock
Mylasia Miklas was exploring the tide pools around Haystack Rock this month when she spotted what looked like a baby octopus. After taking a closer look, she realized it was a young sunflower sea star, the first anyone has seen near the rock in years. Once a common sight along the coastline, researchers estimate 99% of the sea star population vanished since the onset of sea star wasting syndrome in 2013. Miklas’ recent discovery is the fifth young sunflower sea star found on the coast in the past week, giving her and others hope. “That was definitely a top tide pool moment for me was being able to find that,” Miklas said. (Nicole Bales/The Daily Astorian)
