The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com
Thursday, February 9, 2023
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Jackson County Animal Shelter Loses ‘No-Kill Shelter’ Status
The Jackson County Animal Shelter has had to put down a larger number of animals than expected recently, causing them to lose ‘no-kill’ status.
Recently, it has begun limiting the number of people allowed to simply drop off animals.
Typically, a shelter is considered ‘no-kill’ if they achieve a live release rate of 90% or higher.
Due to the pandemic and other economic factors, the number of animals being brought into the facility has prevented the shelter from achieving that figure, and it currently sits at around 88%.
“Anytime that there is a situation that causes economic hardship or unrest in people it definitely has an impact on animals and on shelters,” said Kim Casey, Program Manager for Jackson County Animal Services.
As a public shelter of last resort, Jackson County is required to take in animals other shelters turn down. “We are an open admission shelter, which means we are required to take stray animals as a government agency. That means we take animals that are not potentially adoptable with major behavioral issues or medical needs,” Casey said.
The shelter is taking steps to increase its capabilities, including hiring new staff and holding more no-fee adoption events, but Casey says there is only so much it can do in the short term. “From a long-term perspective, we’re doing more on the end of trying to promote adoption to try and offset the cost and in some cases make it more feasible. As the public’s cost for veterinary care has increased so has ours,” she said. https://jacksoncountyor.org/hhs/Animal-Services/Welcome
Ashland City Council Appoints New Mayor
The Ashland City Council appointed Councilor Tanya Graham as the new mayor during its meeting Tuesday evening. She fills the position that was left empty after former Mayor Julie Akins resigned on Jan. 27th.
“I think everyone is very happy that we’re going forward with someone on the council who has actually faced the voters twice before… and has moved up to fill this position for the next two years,” said Ashland city manager Joseph Lessard.
Graham was re-elected as City Councilor, Position No. 2, in November, 2022 for a four-year term. Mayor Graham will serve in her position until the next election, which will be in November, 2024.
Even though Ashland has a new mayor, City Council still has two counselor positions open: Graham’s former position and Shaun Moran’s former position. Moran resigned shortly after Akins. The Ashland City Council will be accepting applications through February 14.
Lessard says after applications come in, the council will conduct interviews over a two-week period. He says the council will then appoint the new members either by its Feb. 22 meeting or its March 7th meeting.
The individual elected Councilor for Position No. 2 will serve a two-year term, while the elected Councilor for Position No. 3 will serve a four-year term.
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Governor Kotek Fires OLCC Director and Staff Who Were Buying Rare Bourbon For Themselves
A thirst for rare bottles of bourbon appears set to have cost the executive director and other top officials of Oregon’s liquor and marijuana regulating agency their jobs.
An internal investigation by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, obtained by The Associated Press via public records request Wednesday, concluded that Executive Director Steve Marks and five other agency officials had diverted sought-after bourbons, including Pappy Van Winkle’s 23-year-old whiskey, for their personal use.
The officials were paying for the whiskey, which can cost thousands of dollars a bottle, but they had used their knowledge and connections at the commission to obtain them, and consequently deprived members of the public of the spendy booze, the investigation said. And that violated Oregon statutes, including one that prohibits public officials from using confidential information for personal gain, the commission’s investigation said.
Governor Kotek on Wednesday asked the agency’s board of commissioners to remove Marks and the other implicated officials, alleging they “abused their position for personal gain.”
“This behavior is wholly unacceptable. I will not tolerate wrongful violations of our government ethics laws,” Kotek said in her letter to the board of commissioners.
In his responses to questions from the investigator, Marks denied that he had violated Oregon ethics laws and state policy. However, he acknowledged that he had received preferential treatment “to some extent” in obtaining the whiskey as a commission employee. Marks and the other officials said they never resold the whiskeys they obtained.
“This incident underlines the importance of having public accountability,” said agency spokesperson Mark Pettinger. “The OLCC will need to work on rebuilding and restoring our public trust … and adhere to Oregon’s ethics laws.”
After taking office last month, Kotek, a Democrat who was a long-serving Oregon House speaker, asked for Marks’ resignation, but no reason was announced. Kotek said she learned of this business about the bourbon afterward.
The board of commissioners is appointed by the governor and in turn selects the executive director, according to a commission spokesman. The commissioners’ next regular meeting is next Wednesday. The agency is the state’s third-largest revenue generator.
Kotek has asked Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to conduct an independent civil investigation into the extent of any wrongdoing and recommend stronger protocols for ensuring ethics laws are followed.
February is the last month Oregonians will receive increased emergency food benefits
- Most Oregonians who receive SNAP benefits will receive increased emergency food benefits in February.
- Approximately 416,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $71 million in emergency food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits in February.
- February is the last month that the federal government will allow Oregon to issue these emergency food benefits.
- Households who receive SNAP will continue to receive their regular SNAP benefits after February, typically this is the amount households get between the first and the ninth of each month.
(Salem) – Most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in February.
In February, approximately 416,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $71 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits. This will be the final emergency allotment provided to Oregonians.
March 2023 will be the first month since April 2020 that most people on SNAP in Oregon will only receive their regular SNAP food benefits.
“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” said ODHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht (he/him). “As Oregon continues to be impacted by COVID-19 and the rising cost of food, we know that without these emergency food benefits some in Oregon may experience hardship and hunger. We encourage people who are concerned to start planning for this change today. Having a plan ahead of time will reduce the chance of experiencing an emergency or crisis later. There are food supports available to everyone in Oregon, you can find what is available in your community by contacting our partners at 211, the Oregon Food Bank or by visiting needfood.oregon.gov.”
“It’s critical that Oregonians facing reduced support for groceries know that food remains available to all who need it,” said Susannah Morgan (she/her), Oregon Food Bank CEO. “Across rural, urban and suburban communities, more than 1,400 free food markets, pantries and meal sites are moving mountains to make sure families have the resources we need to fill the gap. And everyone is welcome — regardless of race, gender, religion or immigration status.”
“The end of the emergency allotments, as we all know, will be a very hard time for many folks and families, but we know there are great people at 211, ODHS and our partner agencies who stand ready to help and will lead with compassion to help the community navigate this change,” said Kerry Hoeschen (she/her), 211info emergency management director. “At 211info we are available 24/7 to provide information and referrals to agencies offering support for a wide variety of needs such as rent and utility payment support. This includes more than 1,000 food resources across Oregon and Southwest Washington like food pantries, farmers markets, community gardens, fresh food distribution and summer food programs for all Oregonians. To find out more about general resources and food programs contact us! Language interpreters are available.”
Current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on Feb. 10. Emergency allotments will be issued Feb. 27 or March 1 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.
Oregonians who receive SNAP are encouraged to prepare for this change in the amount of food benefits they receive. Having a plan ahead of time will reduce the chance of experiencing an emergency or crisis later.
Find out what your regular SNAP benefit amount is. Knowing your regular SNAP benefit can help you budget. You can check how much your regular benefits are by accessing your EBT account online at www.ebtEDGE.com or by logging into your ONE account at Benefits.oregon.gov.
Questions about your SNAP benefits can also be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-699-9075. The ONE Customer Service Center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
Regular SNAP benefits are added to EBT cards between the first and the ninth day of the month.
Tell ODHS if your income has decreased. A decrease in your income may mean you qualify for more SNAP benefits.
Tell ODHS if there are more people in your household. An increase to the number of people in your household may increase your SNAP food benefits.
You can report changes to your income or household in many ways:
- Online at: Benefits.oregon.gov
- By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
- By fax at: 503-378-5628
- By phone at: 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
Know what food supports are in your area. There are many different organizations providing food support in communities throughout Oregon:
- Find food resources in your community: needfood.oregon.gov
- Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
- Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
Remember that SNAP has changed since April 2020. In addition to the temporary emergency food benefits due to COVID-19, SNAP has experienced other permanent changes that will support people’s ability to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families.
On October 1, 2021, regular SNAP food benefits were permanently increased by an average of about $36 per person, per month.
In January 2022, Oregon increased the income eligibility limit for SNAP up to 200% of the federal poverty level. This means that an individual with up to $2,265 in income per month, or a family of three with up to $3,838 in income per month, are eligible to receive SNAP food benefits.
Why emergency food benefits are ending after February 2023
The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since April 2020. The 2023 federal spending bill ended funding for emergency allotments. Due to this change, the federal government will no longer allow Oregon to issue emergency food benefits after February 2023.
This means that February 2023 is the final month that ODHS is allowed to provide these emergency food benefits to people receiving SNAP in Oregon.
These emergency food benefits have provided people in Oregon with $1.86 billion in additional money for food since April 2020.
More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/About-SNAP.aspx.
Resources to help meet basic needs
- Find food resources in your community: needfood.oregon.gov
- Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
- Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.
- Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
- Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/find-services/
- Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, families and individuals with low incomes in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits. For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855-673-2372.
Paid Leave Oregon offers website in six languages, adds new features
SALEM – Paid Leave Oregon has refreshed its website, PaidLeave.Oregon.gov. In response to community feedback, the updated website is now available in six languages: English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
Other new features include:
- An interactive contributions calculator so employers and employees can figure out their payroll contributions
- A safe exit or “quick escape” feature – these buttons are used on websites for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. The button helps web users quickly exit the site they’re browsing and will automatically open another page.
- Detailed information for both employers and employees, as well as new sections for self-employed people, healthcare workers, and service providers
- Videos that feature real Oregon business owners in our communities
Paid Leave Oregon allows employees to take paid time off for some of life’s most important moments. It covers leave for the birth or adoption of a child, for serious illness or injury, for taking care of a seriously ill family member, and for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or harassment.
Contributions to the program by large employers and all employees, regardless of employer size, started January 1. Benefits will be available to employees in September 2023.
### The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is an equal opportunity agency. OED provides free help so you can use our services. Some examples are sign language and spoken-language interpreters, written materials in other languages, large print, audio, and other formats. To get help, please call 503-947-1444. TTY users call 711. You can also send an email to communications@employ.oregon.gov.
Study Shows Oregon Has Most Expensive Cheese Pizzas In U.S.
A new study shows Oregon has the highest average price for a large cheese pizza in the United States, according to MarketWatch .
The new study from Slice, a pizza delivery app and technology platform, took the average prices of pizzas across all 50 states and found that Oregon’s average price of a plain cheese pizza was $26.94 — over $3 more than the second most expensive slice.
A new study from Slice, the pizza-delivery app and technology platform, found that Oregon had the priciest pizza in the country, with the cost of a large cheese pie averaging $26.94 last year. That’s more than twice the price of a pizza in the state where it’s cheapest — Oklahoma, where a large cheese pie ran $12.70.
The release of the Slice study is timed to coincide with National Pizza Day on Feb. 9. The study looked at data from 2022 among the nearly 19,000 independent pizza shops that are part of the Slice network.
Other pricey pizza states in Slice’s analysis of the 2022 data: Washington ($23.34 for a large cheese pie), Illinois ($22.52), Alaska ($21.74), Colorado ($21.23) and California ($21.19).
And the states joining Oklahoma at the lower end of the price spectrum: Minnesota ($13.88), Alabama ($14.80), Kansas ($14.96), North Dakota ($15.35) and Mississippi ($15.50).
Why are some states pricier for pizza than others? Obviously, economies vary from state to state — and that affects the cost of a variety of goods. But the situation with pizza involves certain particulars, says Slice founder and chief Ilir Sela.According to Slice’s founder Ilir Sela, there is a reason why Portland pies are so expensive.
Sela said that the type of pizza being served played a key role in the rankings, and Oregon heavily emphasizes “artisanal pizza.” That means pizzas with higher-end ingredients or pizzas made to a higher standard.
Another factor in pizza price was the number of pizza shops per capita, according to Sela areas with fewer shops tended to have higher prices.
Other findings from Slice’s study showed that ranch dressing appeared to be rising in popularity with a 9.7% increase in orders, and that pickles are predicted to be a popular new pizza topping.
