Rogue Valley News, Friday 3/24 – Suspect Arrested In Shady Cove Linked To Several Unsolved Burglaries, Talent Rises From the Ashes to Become Oregon’s Tree City of the Year

The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com

Friday, March 24, 2023 

Rogue Valley Weather

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ISSUED: 2:52 AM MAR. 24, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches above 2000 feet. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph over exposed terrain.

* WHERE...Jackson County above 2000 feet, including portions of I- 5 south of Ashland, portions of State Route 238 between Jacksonville and Applegate, and portions of Highway 62 between Trail and Prospect and including the cities of Prospect and Butte Falls.

* WHEN...Until 2 PM PDT this afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the commute this morning.

* View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr

Suspect Arrested in Shady Cove is Linked to Several Unsolved Burglaries, Leads Investigators to Keys for 20 Local Businesses, 43-Grams Fentanyl Seized

JCSO Case 23-1621 SHADY COVE, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Shady Cove deputies arrested a man after he attempted to break into a local RV park front office Tuesday afternoon in the 21000 block of Highway 62. An observer witnessed the man acting suspiciously in the area and alerted authorities. JCSO deputies responded, detained and identified the suspect discovering he had a total of eight outstanding warrants for his arrest and a parole violation. 

While searching the suspect, deputies found 14-grams of methamphetamine on his person. A search of his vehicle uncovered 43.7-grams of fentanyl in multiple baggies packaged for sale, evidence of several additional burglaries, and burglary tools. Medford Police Department (MPD) detectives responded to assist in the investigation and along with JCSO deputies were able to link the suspect to burglaries from throughout the Rogue Valley. During the search, the suspect advised he had stolen keys for approximately 20 local businesses and had hidden them in a local creek.  Most of the keys and stolen property was recovered during the investigation.

The suspect, Michael Jonathan Barrett, 48, of Central Point, is charged with two counts of second-degree burglary, first-degree theft, second-degree attempted burglary, third-degree theft, unlawful possession of methamphetamine, and unlawful possession of a schedule II-controlled substance (fentanyl). He is lodged in the Jackson County Jail and due to his parole violation is not eligible for pre-trial release. Barrett was wanted on failure-to-appear warrants for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle, third-degree theft, identity theft, and second-degree burglary. Barrett’s outstanding warrants included two counts of first-degree theft and second-degree burglary. His parole violation was for unlawful delivery of heroin. 

Barrett has been linked to a least two unsolved burglary cases locally. This includes a Medford dental office and a Jacksonville computer store where he stole the keys to local businesses. This case is under further investigation with MPD and JCSO following additional leads and is an example of the great multi-agency law enforcement teamwork we have in the Rogue Valley. 

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage. JCSO deputies seized enough fentanyl in this case to potentially kill nearly 22,000 people.

Talent Rises From the Ashes to Become Oregon’s Tree City of the Year

TALENT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry has selected the southern Oregon town of Talent to be Oregon’s Tree City of the Year. Only one community is chosen each year from across the state. Cottage Grove was last year’s honoree.

To be eligible for Tree City of the Year honors, a community must be a Tree City USA. To become a Tree City USA, communities must meet requirements of the national Arbor Day Foundation for having basic tree-care policies and management in place. Talent has held that status for 23 years. Last year was also the fourth time the City earned a Growth Award for significant improvements to its urban forestry program.

A fast-moving wildfire in 2020 destroyed about 40 percent of the city, leaving thousands without homes and killing a heart-breaking number of its trees. Before the fire, Talent did not have an accurate inventory of its urban trees. With help from ODF urban forestry grants, Talent has gained access to inventory software from PlanIt Geo (Treeplotter). The City inventoried 1,500 street and park trees throughout the community – about one-third of the estimated public trees in Talent. From this data Talent is able to figure out the size, diversity, ecosystem services, and economic loss resulting from the destroyed portion of its urban forest. 

“After being devastated by the 2020 wildfire, Talent has rallied as a community, becoming very invested and committed to their urban forest. In the face of traumatic and devastating loss, they still managed to outscore all of our other growth award applicants,” said ODF Urban and Community Assistance Forester Brittany Oxford. “Most notably, they have been mapping their canopy with an equity-informed focus guiding their reforestation efforts. The City is working hard to ensure the historically underserved in Talent are the starting point from which they begin to reforest and recover.”

“This recognition was earned by the hard work of so many dedicated people in Talent, from elected city commissioners, Tree Board, volunteers and city staff, such as our new Hazard Mitigation Coordinator Mike Oxendine,” said Talent Mayor Darby Ayres-Flood. “It shows the resilience and determination of our town to come back even better than we were before the wildfire.”

A certified arborist, Oxendine has been helping Talent with its citywide hazard tree assessment and removal. He has also been staff liaison to the Talent Urban Forestry Committee and is project lead on drafting a master plan for the City’s urban forest. This is in addition to seeking out and overseeing grant funding for hazard mitigation and canopy restoration, including tree plantings.

“Post-fire grants have allowed us to hire a GIS professional contractor Nikki Hart-Brinkley, who is the owner and principal of Green Top Planning, Development, and Research,” said Oxendine.

He said Hart-Brinkley has been working on a series of maps detailing canopy coverage before and after the wildfire of 2020. 

“The maps are the basis for our Urban Tree Canopy Assessment. They show that within Talent city limits (total 851 acres) before the wildfire we had 142 acres of canopy coverage and post-fire we have 104 acres. That’s a drop in tree canopy coverage from 16.7% to 12.3%. That’s roughly a loss of one tree in four,” explained Oxendine.

“This canopy assessment is also informing our decisions about achieving equity in our reforesting efforts. We are analyzing heat islands and overlaying that data layer with socioeconomic data to show where our heat islands intersect with historically underserved populations. We can see where there is lots of asphalt and concrete and where shade trees are most needed,” said Oxendine.

Oxford said Talent is also adding to knowledge about tree performance in southern Oregon conditions, reporting data on 10 common urban trees’ growth rates in their community.

According to the Grants Pass Police Department at about 7:50 a.m. this morning a single-vehicle crashed into a power pole on Southwest G Street, between Southwest Wildwood Avenue and Southwest Grant Street, in Grants Pass.

Right now Southwest G Street, between Southwest Wildwood Avenue and Southwest Grant Street is closed because of this accident. Power lines are down and repairs have begun.

Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office to Conduct Training at Green and Sunnyslope Elementary Schools

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be holding an in-service training for Sheriff’s Office deputies and staff from all divisions during Roseburg School District’s Spring Break. The training will take place Tuesday, March 28th -Thursday, March 30th. 

The training will be held at Green and Sunnyslope Elementary schools. DCSO staff will receive instruction in First Aid/CPR and ethics. Deputies will also participate in scenario based training. These continuing education hours keep deputies current with their certification requirements mandated by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training and to maintain a professional level of service. 

In the interest of public notification and awareness, community members should be aware that the scenario based training will look like an active shooter/active threat response. Simulated gunfire, yelling and a general police presence may be observed by community members in the area. Signage will be present indicating a training exercise is in session. 

“We believe it is vitally important to train our deputies in the response of active threats. The use of scenario based training provides the deputies with the most realistic training possible and helps to develop them professionally in order to better serve our communities,” said Lt. Brad O’Dell. “We are thankful to the Roseburg School District for their support and hospitality in hosting this important training session.

Roseburg School District Superintendent Jared Cordon said he is grateful for the ongoing partnership between the district and local law enforcement agencies.

“We appreciate the opportunity to support the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in their training efforts,” Cordon said. “The more we work together to plan and prepare for potential emergencies, the safer our schools and community will be.”

For the safety of the community and deputies, the school campus will be closed to the public during the training sessions each day, which start at 7:00 am and end at 5:00 pm. 

Any public questions should be directed to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at 541-440-4450 or dcso.pio@co.douglas.or.us.

$200 Million Housing and Homelessness Package Clears Legislature

Oregon lawmakers passed a $200 million bipartisan housing and homelessness package Tuesday night, sending it to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk for final approval.

The $200 million outlay, encapsulated in House Bills 2001 and 5019, will bolster rent assistance, expand shelters, protect homeless youth and catalyze housing development, among other initiatives. The package also makes several policy changes intended to defray the affordable housing crisis, including giving tenants more time to pay overdue rent and holding local jurisdictions accountable for producing more housing.

The Senate passed both bills on a 21-7 vote Tuesday evening, less than a week after the package was overwhelmingly approved by the House. The package is among Kotek’s top policy priorities for the session.

The rapid and lopsided passage of the first bill represents a major victory for Kotek, a Portland Democrat who made housing her signature issue during her record-setting nine years as speaker of the House. The fact the money measure passed the Legislature in March, with millions slated to be pumped out to communities starting this week, is highly unusual and shows the sense of urgency in both parties to address the state’s pressing housing shortage.

The Senate passed both bills on a 21-7 vote Tuesday evening, less than a week after the package was overwhelmingly approved by the House. The package is among Kotek’s top policy priorities for the session.

The rapid and lopsided passage of the first bill represents a major victory for Kotek, a Portland Democrat who made housing her signature issue during her record-setting nine years as speaker of the House. The fact the money measure passed the Legislature in March, with millions slated to be pumped out to communities starting this week, is highly unusual and shows the sense of urgency in both parties to address the state’s pressing housing shortage.

Knopp and Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, both said more mental health and addiction resources need to be created throughout the state as well.

Kotek is slated to sign the package quickly, allowing $30 million to be pushed out to local communities immediately. Those initial funds will go to eviction prevention, rent assistance and some state staffing costs. The remainder of the funding will become available July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.

The money will be on top of any funding that makes its way into the general housing and homelessness budget for the coming two years. Service providers view the emergency funding as a down payment that will allow them to quickly scale up their work while they wait on typical state funding.

The largest portion of money, $55 million, will be used to secure apartments for unhoused people. That money will go to nonprofits and landlords to help 1,200 unsheltered people become housed, largely by paying the rent for them to live in privately owned apartments.

Multnomah County plans to use its portion of the funding to resurrect a pilot program it initiated last summer that paid landlords to house unsheltered people while providing landlords assurances such as landlord-tenant mediation and money to repair damages. They hope to house 300 people through that.

The next largest portion of money, $34 million, will go toward rent assistance aimed at preventing evictions. State officials project the rent assistance will prevent 8,750 families and individuals who are currently housed from becoming homeless. That equates to nearly $3,800 per household.

Multnomah County aims to prevent 2,000 households from becoming evicted.

The bill also brings back some pandemic-era renter protections that have since expired. It will require landlords to give tenants 10 days’ notice instead of 72 hours before initiating an eviction, provide tenants with information about their rights and resources upon notice of eviction and accept payment of rent after eviction court proceedings have started.

Policy changes will also require judges to throw out an eviction case if a landlord refused to accept rent payments, including through a rent assistance program. Judges will also be required to seal some eviction records to avoid causing barriers to future housing for individuals.

Another $25 million in the bill is earmarked for to support youth through housing, shelter, behavioral health care and other supportive services. Most of the funding will expand the state’s host home programs that are like foster homes but are for older teens and grant them more independence. Some money will also be used to expand local youth housing and shelter programs and add emergency housing funds for families with school-age children.

The package calls for $23.8 million to expand low-barrier shelters statewide to serve those who aren’t able to immediately access housing. The funding will add 600 beds across a state that has an estimated 12,000 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, according to the last federal count of homeless individuals.

Multnomah County will get 150 of those new shelter beds, though the city of Portland will not be allowed to use the funds for the planned mass city-run tent encampments, the first of which is slated to open this year.

In addition, $27 million will go to 25 rural counties, enabling them to create 100 new shelter beds and house 450 people. It is estimated there are about 5,000 unsheltered people across the 25 rural counties.

But Bonham and Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, said more funding for rural communities needs to be considered in the future.

The package will also allocate $20 million to produce affordable modular homes. The factory-built homes are intended to avoid the delays that typically come with building homes and apartments from scratch. The projects could be tiny homes, backyard dwelling units, duplexes or full apartment complexes.

The bills will also relax land use restrictions to allow for more rapid construction of housing in urban and rural areas. That includes eliminating some permitting requirements and prohibiting appeals to housing development plans if the local government has followed the state’s plans.

In a push for more local accountability, the state will now have some increased authority over local development plans. State officials will annually assess and set housing production targets for cities with more than 10,000 residents and can intervene if those cities fall behind.

The bill also provides $5 million to develop housing for agricultural workers. (SOURCE)

Oregon Legislature Proposes Tight Budget As COVID Cash Runs Out

Legislative budget writers plan to trim many state agency budgets while increasing overall spending in the next two years. 

Co-chairs of the legislative budget-writing committee on Thursday shared the broad strokes of their $31.6 billion spending plan for the two years beginning July 1. It starts with 2.5% reductions to current agency spending, cuts that would primarily be achieved by not filling vacancies. 

The planned cuts come as lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek envision spending hundreds of millions more to address the state’s most pressing issues, including a housing shortage, a dearth of public defenders that has left Oregonians without their constitutional right to representation in criminal cases and a rollback of Medicaid benefits expanded earlier in the pandemic that could leave up to 300,000 Oregonians uninsured. 

It’s larger than the $29.3 billion the state spent in the current budget cycle, but it still represents a haircut for state agencies who will be asked to hold positions vacant. One key factor making budgeting decisions harder this year: The billions of dollars in federal COVID funding that helped grow state programs and provide one-time boosts for schools and housing isn’t available. 

“We no longer have that federal fund buffer, so things will be a little tighter,” said Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland and one co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

Like a $32.1 billion plan Kotek proposed in January, the plan Sanchez and the other budget-writing  co-chair, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, unveiled calls for increasing school funding and prioritizing education, housing and human services.

Unlike the governor’s plan, which called for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars intended for the state’s reserves to meet those goals, the legislative proposal would maintain a 1% distribution to the state’s rainy day fund of close to $300 million. 

The framework includes almost $200 million in early spending on a $217 million housing package that Kotek is expected to sign soon and a $210 million set of incentives for semiconductors and advanced manufacturing that’s working its way through the Legislature. Some of the money for those packages will come from the current budget. 

Beyond that, the plan anticipates spending $325.6 million toward top state priorities, including managing Medicaid eligibility and preserving basic health and dental coverage for low-income adults who risk losing Medicaid coverage. Public defense services, literacy programs, housing and behavioral health and reproductive health are also included in that $325.6 million pot – but the state doesn’t have enough money to meet those needs, according to the framework.

The state’s next economic forecast in May could follow recent trends of showing higher-than-expected revenue, meaning lawmakers will have more flexibility to increase spending on priorities or decrease cuts. 

But if that doesn’t happen, Steiner said they’ll face tough decisions when crafting the full budget. They may have to dip into the money allocated for reserves, make additional cuts to state agencies or limit new spending. 

“This is my fifth year doing this, and it’s going to be the hardest,” Steiner said. “People have become accustomed to having lots and lots and lots of resources. The combination of the uncertain economy and inflation are putting us in a very different place than we were two or four years ago.” 

The proposal released Thursday is a high-level look at state finances, with many details left to negotiate. Sanchez and Steiner shared it with other lawmakers shortly before releasing it to the public with a clear message for the 88 other legislators: There won’t be enough money for everything they want to do. 

“There really isn’t a whole lot of room for a whole lot,” Sanchez said. “We did deprioritize new things. We’re not going to move into new things really right now because we don’t know where we’re going to be. We don’t know what the May forecast is going to look like.”

The proposal calls for increasing the State School Fund, which covers most of the state’s K-12 budget, from $9.5 billion to $9.9 billion. That’s the same increase as Kotek’s proposal, though lower than the $10.3 billion education groups say is necessary to maintain current service levels for students. 

Education advocates widely panned the legislative proposal, saying it doesn’t do enough to fund K-12 education and universities. Jim Green, executive director of the Oregon School Boards Association, said in a statement that districts project widespread cuts in programs and staff.

“We appreciate that legislators are trying to address budget pressures,” he said. “But schools are facing a crisis in serving students’ increasing social and emotional needs, as well as workforce shortages.”

University leaders, meanwhile, noted that Oregon spends less per student than most other states. Nagi Naganathan, president of the Oregon Institute of Technology and chair of the Oregon Council of Presidents, said students need more support after the stresses of the pandemic.

“Our students, both current and future, have been hit hard by the pandemic,” she said. “They require more wraparound and behavioral health services, stronger academic advising, greater financial aid, and more support than ever on their path toward a degree.”

The legislative proposal calls for most state agencies to keep a certain number of vacant positions open to save costs, though it also calls for about $120 million in recruitment and retention benefits to keep corrections workers and behavioral health caregivers on the job. 

“Those are areas where we have experienced particularly acute staff shortages,” Steiner said. 

The framework also includes $330 million for state employee raises expected to result from future collective bargaining agreements. 

The human services budget includes nearly $109 million to comply with a federal court order that requires the Oregon State Hospital to treat and release patients back to their communities on a  set schedule, and for related needs. That order applies to patients who face criminal charges and need treatment so they can aid in the defense of their case. 

The initial plan doesn’t include state-issued general obligation bonds, which lawmakers continue to negotiate. Kotek has called for issuing about $770 billion in bonds to build new affordable homes for renters and homeowners, while universities seek bond funding for campus construction projects.

Bonds also could come into play for Oregon’s portion of the Interstate 5 bridge replacement between Portland and Vancouver, Washington: Oregon’s northern neighbor expects the state to match Washington’s $1 billion commitment to the bridge, which could cost as much as $7.5 billion. 

In a statement, Kotek praised the chairs’ “thoughtful approach” to developing a budget proposal.

“We share a mission-focused vision: rather than scores of new programs, we need to prioritize investments that will deliver meaningful results on housing and homelessness, behavioral health, and education,” she said. “As the budget process moves forward, I urge the Legislature to exhaust every possible funding option in order to make the visible and measurable progress that Oregonians are demanding on these issues of statewide concern.” (SOURCE)

Bill Looks To Address Source Of Oregon Water Pollution

A new bill introduced into the Oregon Legislature last week is hoping to address Oregon’s water pollution issue, with some people believing that the unhoused population play a contributing role.

If passed, Senate Bill 1086 would, “authorize any person to submit a complaint to the Department of Environmental Quality if the person reasonably believes that the camping site of homeless individuals is causing discharge of wastes into state waters.”

The bill would also direct the department to remove those from the camping site and clean the camping site as necessary to protect state waters.

“We cannot allow the homeless to continue to impact the waters of the state,” said Sen. David Brock Smith, a chief sponsor of the bill and Republican representing District 1, which represents all of Curry County and parts of Coos and Douglas counties.

According to the bill’s text, the DEQ may contract or collaborate with any local government to carry out removal and cleanup activities. But it states that the “removal of homeless individuals under this section must be conducted in a manner that conforms to the provisions of ORS 195.505,” which is the state’s camp removal & unclaimed personal property policies.

“These homeless camps don’t have any consequences, and yet they’re some of the most polluting,” Smith said.

During the removal process in affected areas, Smith said outreach services will be provided to those that want to get off the streets. However, for those who decide to stay on the street, Smith said, there is no solution on how to stop them from polluting again.

“That’s the billion dollar question,” he said. 

During his interview with NewsWatch 12, Smith claimed the state has spent millions of dollars over the last six years to clean up Oregon’s waterways, but with little success. He also claimed that the unhoused, over the years, have been polluting Oregon’s water with trash, fecal matter and even drugs, which has been slowly contaminating Oregon’s water.

Although the bill is still in its very early stages, Smith said he hopes the bill will receive bi-partisan support. 

“I look forward to other colleagues signing on,” Smith said. “This isn’t a partisan issue. This is a bipartisan issue to protect waters of the state, regardless of who is doing the polluting.” (SOURCE)

Oregon Psilocybin Services issues state’s first licenses

PORTLAND, Ore. –Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has issued the state’s first psilocybin license as part of the nation’s first regulatory framework for psilocybin services. The manufacturer license was issued to a woman-owned business, Satori Farms PDX LLC, owned by Tori Armbrust. As the nation celebrates Women’s History Month, this woman-owned business will bring communities one step closer towards accessing psilocybin services in Oregon.

“We congratulate Tori Armbrust of Satori Farms PDX LLC for being issued the first psilocybin license in Oregon’s history and for representing women leading the way for the emerging psilocybin ecosystem,” says Oregon Psilocybin Services Section Manager Angie Allbee. “We are committed to fostering an inclusive partnership with our regulated community to ensure safe, effective and equitable psilocybin services throughout the state.”

The role of Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) is to license psilocybin facilitators, manufacturers, service centers and laboratories, while ensuring that those licensees and their workers comply with Oregon law. OPS began accepting applications for the four license types on January 2, 2023. OPS expects to issue additional licenses to laboratories, service centers and facilitators in the coming months.

Anyone interested in accessing psilocybin services can find service centers and facilitators once they are licensed on the OPS Licensee Directory website. The directory will contain licensee names and contact details for all licensees that have requested to have their information published. This may also provide opportunities for licensed psilocybin businesses to connect.

Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) has also begun publishing a Weekly Report on Applications for Licenses and Worker Permits. The new weekly report includes information about total number of applications received by type and status. OPS will update the report on a weekly basis.

OPS encourages the public to visit the OPS website for more information and to sign up for updates on the section’s work. For the latest updates, subscribe to the Oregon Psilocybin Services distribution list at: oregon.gov/psilocybin 

Four Sisters Claim Oregon Lottery’s $1 Million Raffle Prize

Salem, Ore. – A retired Wood Village woman and her three sisters are planning a fun vacation together after winning the $1 million top prize in Oregon Lottery’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Raffle. 

Carol Serbick bought the winning ticket at Bumpers Grill & Bar in Fairview on March 2, 2023 – about a week before tickets were sold out.  

“I went to the restroom, walked past the bar and said to the bartender, ‘just give me one ticket,’” she said. “Between us sisters, we purchased a total of nine tickets.” 

The sisters had agreed to split the prize money before the winning numbers were drawn. The plan was for each sister to buy two – but Serbick picked up the ninth ticket on a whim. A first time Raffle player, Serbick is the oldest sibling and all four are retirees looking forward to a sisters’ trip. 

To check the winning numbers for all 1,801 Raffle prizes, players can use the Lottery’s smart phone app, go to www.oregonlottery.org or visit a participating Oregon Lottery retail location.

The $500 and $100 prize winners can claim their prizes at any Oregon Lottery retail location. In addition, players can claim their prize by mail – visit www.oregonlottery.org/claim-a-prize/ for instructions. 

The Raffle offers the best odds of any Oregon Lottery game of winning $1 million – 1 in 250,000. Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 138.8. This was the 23rd time a Raffle was offered by the Oregon Lottery. 

The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. 

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org. 

Senate Passes Bill To Recognize Potato As Official Oregon Vegetable 

The Oregon Senate has passed a bill that will make the potato the state’s official vegetable. It’s the state’s most widely cultivated vegetable crop on 44-thousand acres. Two-and-a-half billion pounds of potatoes are sold bringing in 216-million dollars to the state’s economy.

Senator Bill Hansell says Oregon is also the state where a favorite potato product was created, “The iconic tater-tot was developed by two brothers in Ontario, Oregon who also created the OreIda potato company.”

Potato farmers donate a million pounds of potatoes to the Oregon Food Bank each year. Oregon is the fourth largest potato producing state behind Idaho, Washington and Wisconsin. The bill now moves to the House.