Category: In the News

Obama temporarily bans new coal leases on federal land

Angering coal supporters, the Obama administration announced a temporary ban on new coal leases on federal lands Friday as part of a broad environmental and economic review of the nation’s federal coal program. The decision, which was lauded by environmental advocates, came three days after President Obama said in his State of

Jim Obergefell Says John Was There With Him at State of the Union

Jim Obergefell’s name will forever be linked to same-sex marriage in the United States, and yet he remains mostly unknown to most Americans. The real estate agent and technology consultant from Ohio, who lost his husband to ALS, began a battle to have their marriage recognized by their home state in 2013

Sen. Merkley makes county visit

Since opening its doors a few months ago, the Lake County Commissioners boardroom hadn’t seen as much activity as when U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley came for his 256th Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6. To open the meeting, Lakeview Mayor Sandra Wenzel had all elected officials introduce themselves, then

What gay marriage advocate plans to say to Kim Davis

Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, may run into Kim Davis at President Obama’s final State of the Union address. And if he does, Obergefell has a message to deliver. Obergefell, invited to sit in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box in the

SOTU Guests Obergefell, Davis Highlight Gay Rights Divide

If there are two people who represent opposite poles in the gay marriage debate, it’s Supreme Court plaintiff Jim Obergefell and Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis. And they’ll both be in the House chamber for the State of the Union on Tuesday night. Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the landmark

Constitution resonates as issue at Merkley town hall

The most resonant and emotional topic at U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley’s town hall meeting in Brownsville Saturday afternoon was the Constitution. At his 12th such meeting in five days, Oregon’s Democratic junior senator took questions from a crowd of more than 30 citizens at the town’s City Hall. He was

Merkley tackles myriad topics during Coos County town hall

MYRTLE POINT — U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley dug into a diverse plate of topics for breakfast Friday morning. In the course of holding town halls all over the state this week, Oregon’s junior Democratic senator made his way to the Myrtle Point High School cafeteria, where he was greeted by a

Proposal looms for Sutton Mountain wilderness

MITCHELL — Walking atop Sutton Mountain feels a bit like entering a pocket of African savanna perched high above the Oregon desert. Waves of grassland spread across a wide plateau spotted with gnarled juniper trees. A gigantic sky — cobalt blue in one half and dark with incoming rain in

Scoggins Dam project to get more money and flexibility

Thanks in part to pressure from Oregon’s Congressional delegation, the newly reauthorized Safety of Dams Act includes provisions for upgrading the seismic safety of Scoggins Dam near Gaston and also for increasing water-storage capacity in the adjacent Hagg Lake reservoir. The provisions were included in a giant, omnibus spending bill

en_USEnglish