Sam Sied

This November, Benton County voters will participate in “Ranked Choice Voting” when electing Benton County Commissioners. Since Ranked Choice Voting will debut this coming election, the county enlisted the help of Sam Sasquatch to teach voters how it…

Oregonians filing for concealed carry permits may face months of wait-time, according to a recent report by KOIN. Gun safety trainers say they are seeing more demand for safety skills courses in Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties. “I was…

The Benton County Health Department announced they appointed Suzanne Hoffman as their new interim Health Department Director starting October 1, 2020. Her appointment is set for two years. Hoffman brings decades of experience to the table, according…

For three nights this September, the world’s last Blockbuster video is renting their store through Airbnb. The store is located in Bend, Oregon and the sleepover is limited to local households. “Although Bend is best known for its pristine forests…

On August 5, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they had introduced legislation they say will ensure that taxpayer-funded vaccines or treatments for COVID-19 will be affordable. If passed, the Make…

Oregon lost an experienced engineer who specializes in evaluating tsunami and earthquake risks. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) laid off Yumei Wang after 26 years and have no plans to replace her. The agency relies on…

Oregon firefighters have backup if they need it during wildfire season. The Oregon National Guard and Oregon Department of Forestry have a long-standing agreement known as Operation Plan Smokey.Operation Plan Smokey allows Gov. Kate Brown to deploy…

As COVID-19 diagnoses trend upwards, state officials are reporting growth in cases among people in their 20s. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) statistics show people aged 20–29 now account for 20.6 percent of Oregon coronavirus cases. OHA’s July 10…

Oregon State University was awarded $5.9 million grant from the National Institutes For Environmental Health Sciences to research the impact of environmental chemical exposure on human health. According to OSU, The researchers at Pacific Northwest…

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon filed a lawsuit against the city of Portland on June 28. Their class-action lawsuit claimed the Portland police attacked journalists and legal observers who were covering protests against police misconduct…

The Oregon Department of Corrections recently changed their correctional communication systems vendor from Telmate to CenturyLink. This change is happening at a time when family and friends are not allowed to visit adults in custody due to COVID-19…

On June 18, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission took steps towards banning non-cannabis additives into cannabis vaping products, according to an announcement by OLCC. The proposal is intended to curb incidents of vaping-associated lung injury (VALI)…

Teens and adults who want to express themselves during these times may join a free online workshop and contribute to a new community zine that may be published by the Corvallis-Benton County Public Libraries. The libraries teamed up with zinester…

The city of Florence recently unveiled the “Exploding Whale Memorial Park” on the north side of the Siuslaw River. The peculiar name commemorates a historic event. In 1970, a deceased 45 foot, eight ton whale washed ashore near Florence. The Oregon…

On June 8, Portland Police Chief Jami Resch announced she is stepping down from her position at the bureau. Resch is stepping aside to allow Lt. Chuck Lovell to become the city’s new top chief. Lovell is the fourth African American police chief in…

Regional celebrity and activist Caesar the No Drama Llama is offering a free downloadable activity book to entertain the kids. It contains a mix of printable coloring pages, word finds, fun facts about llamas, and more! The graphics for the book were…

The Oregon Department of Forestry announced that they banned dispersed camping starting Monday, May 11 due to problems managing the trash and human waste left behind by campers. They anticipate continuing the ban for several weeks, until they have…

Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit won a gold level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. “The Beacon Award for Excellence lauds North American hospital units that employ…

Governor Kate Brown says “You Are The Key” to reopening Oregon. On May 1, she announced the state’s reopening plan involves a partnership with six Oregon hospitals and Oregon Health Sciences University to ramp up testing and contact tracing…

Some Oregon butchers anticipate increased meat costs as the result of meat processing plants that have closed due to worker illness. Some Oregon butchers are already experiencing changes in price and demand. “We’ve seen a significant increase in…