What to know about renters’ rights on keeping cool during summer months
Renters in Oregon have the right to access air conditioning in their homes, thanks to the tenant right-to-cooling law adopted last year. Designed to protect renters from extreme heat conditions and provide guidelines for landlord regulations, the law came in the wake of several heat-related deaths in recent years across Oregon. A recent Oregon Health Authority report shows that communities and people that are economically and socially marginalized have been disproportionally affected by climate-related events including heat waves, droughts and wildfires. (Karla Salinas/Portland Tribune)
Jackson County declares a drought emergency
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in Jackson County on Tuesday. The call was made after a particularly warm month of May, according to the governor’s office. Despite the above-average snowpack this winter, the Rogue Basin is currently measuring 74% of average streamflow. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, all of Jackson County is experiencing either moderate drought or abnormal dryness. Conditions are worse in other parts of the state. Parts of Central Oregon, from Deschutes up to the Washington border, are experiencing severe drought conditions, according to the Drought Monitor. The Jackson County commissioners made the request for a drought emergency in May. Now that it’s been approved, water users will be able to access assistance and it will create more flexibility for the Oregon Water Resources Department this summer. (Erik Neumann/Jefferson Public Radio)
Donald Trump wins election to a rural Oregon fire district
You read that right. Former President Donald Trump beat out four other candidates for the right to claim a seat on the board of the Hubbard Rural Fire Protection District with two write-in votes and a roll of the dice. Trump reportedly doesn’t live or own property in the district, so likely won’t claim his seat. (Bill Poehler/Salem Statesman Journal)
Jury rules in favor of Mt. Bachelor in wrongful death lawsuit
A Deschutes County jury determined that Mt. Bachelor and its parent company, Powdr Corp., were not negligent in the death of 24-year-old snowboarder Alfonso Braun in 2018. Braun was one of three people who died in tree wells on the mountain on the same day. (Joe Siess/Bend Bulletin)
Animal rehabilitation center rescues pair of badger cubs
The nonprofit Think Wild Central Oregon rescued its first orphaned badger cubs, which just happened to be orphaned near the same time, allowing them to be raised together. The cubs will be released in late July or early August. The female was taken in on April 11 and had been abandoned by its mother. The male cub was taken in on May 8 after its mother was hit by a car. Click into the story to see photos of the pair of badger cubs. (Brie Haro/The Bend Bulletin)
Related: This hospital in Bend gives wildlife a second chance
