Audit: Oregon Health Authority mishandled hundreds of thousands in federal mental health money
Federal auditors have flagged problems in the Oregon Health Authority’s oversight of mental health grants. The report found that the lack of oversight resulted in the health authority improperly awarding more than $570,000 in federal dollars toward the expansion and remodeling of a residential youth facility in Eugene, which isn’t allowed under the federal mental health grant program. A spokesperson for OHA said the agency is awaiting a final determination on whether the use of the money was allowable, and if the money will be returned if necessary. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Astoria is vying to get historic Jantzen Beach carousel
Restore Oregon, a Portland-based nonprofit that focuses on protecting Oregon’s historic places, has held the 1920s-era Jantzen Beach carousel in storage for the past several years and has committed to making a decision on relocation by Sept. 15. Astoria is one location in Oregon being considered. Constance Waisanen, a financial consultant, is leading the charge to bring the ornate attraction to Astoria. She thinks the historic character of Astoria, along with its welcoming atmosphere and tourism infrastructure, makes the city an ideal candidate for rehoming the carousel. (David Plechl/The Astorian)
Computer hackers gained access to driver’s licenses and personal information of millions of Oregonians
The Oregon Department of Transportation announced on Thursday that it was hit as part of a global hacking attack that also penetrated the BBC, British Airways, and the government of Nova Scotia. Oregon uses a popular file-sharing tool called Move It to transfer digital information to vendors and customers. State leaders were notified on June 1st that a Russian cyber-extortion gang had hacked Move It servers. Oregon lacks the ability to notify every person whose personal information may have been accessed by hackers. They advised Oregonians to check their credit reports for strange activity. You can obtain a free credit report online at annualcreditreport.com (OPB Staff)
