Kotek says the Biden administration is moving too fast
President Joe Biden’s administration has been aggressively pursuing offshore wind energy development and has targeted waters off Oregon for potential projects. But Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek last week joined coastal tribes and commercial fishermen calling for the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to slow down. (George Plaven/Capital Press)
The Oregon DMV makes 1,900 oopsies
The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles issued 1,900 instructional permits on cards that read “driver’s license” by mistake. A person with an instructional permit can only drive if they’re accompanied by a licensed driver 21 years or older. The DMV is sending affected drivers proper cards in the next two weeks. (Will Geschke/Roseburg News-Review)
A new day has come for North Coast vacation rentals
After the narrow defeat of a May ballot measure, Clatsop County has started renewing vacation rental permits and accepting applications for new ones. Voters rejected a referendum that, if successful, would have caused permits to expire on more than 100 vacation rentals in the area. (Nicole Bales/The Astorian)
Bend home prices rise, Redmond remains stable
Single-family home prices in Bend rose $76,000 in May, over the previous month, and prices in Redmond held steady, according to the monthly housing report. The median sales price of a single-family home in Redmond in May was $472,000, according to the monthly report produced by the Beacon Appraisal Group in Redmond. A lack of homes for sale is driving up prices, said Salma Khan, an agent at John L. Scott Real Estate in Redmond. (Suzanne Roig/The Bend Bulletin)
Airport travelers brace for MAX Red Line disruption
The MAX Red Line connection to the Portland International Airport shuts down on Sunday and will remain closed for the next four months. The 126-day disruption is part of TriMet’s three-year Better Red Improvement Project aimed at improving reliability while also extending the Red Line west 10 stations, to Hillsboro. Shuttle buses will provide connections between the Gateway Transit Center and the airport while the line is shut down. (Jim Redden/Portland Tribune)
