Daniel Pearson - Gales Creek Journal

Statewide vehicle title, registration fees to increase by three percent January 1

A vehicle drives near Gales Creek on Highway 6. Photo: Brenda Schaffer The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced a “historic transportation investment” that beginning January 1, 2022 increases by 3 percent fees for renewing vehicle license plates, getting new trip permits, and applying for vehicle titles. The 3 percent[Read More…]

Willamette Falls Locks Authority created by Oregon Legislature to explore reopening locks

The Willamette Falls on August 6, 2018. Photo: Chas Hundley The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill with a 54-3 vote creating the Willamette Falls Locks Authority, a public corporation establishing ownership, management, and oversight so the waterfall’s locks could someday reopen for the first time since 2011. House[Read More…]

Oregon House passes bill to require diverse boards of directors for publicly-traded companies

The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley Oregon House Democrats issued a news release announcing the passage of House Bill 3310A, which requires publicly-traded corporations to have a minimum number of directors who are women and members of underrepresented communities.  HB 331A is part of a concerted effort[Read More…]

Two candidates vie for open seat in Portland Community College Zone 7 race

A voter drops off a ballot on Saturday, October 31, 2020 in Forest Grove. Photo: Chas Hundley Two candidates running for the Portland Community College Board of Directors open elected seat for the Zone 7 position, which encompasses far west Washington County and parts of northwestern Columbia County, have a[Read More…]

State Rep. Brad Witt accused of sexual harassment by fellow legislator

Brad Witt. Photo courtesy state legislative website. Rep. Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie) who was chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee has stepped down from his position but remains a committee member following a formal letter of complaint to the House Committee on Conduct claiming he sexually harassed Rep. Vikki[Read More…]

House passes bill to restrict some military surplus use by law enforcement agencies

The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting law enforcement agencies from receiving certain types of U.S. military surplus equipment from the federal government, including armored drones, grenades, and firearms silencers, among other types of gear. Nine House representatives from[Read More…]

ODF seeks to create clarity, rules when closing state forestland

The Gales Creek Overlook in the Tillamook State Forest. File photo: Chas Hundley//Gales Creek Journal The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) initiated its administrative rulemaking process to create a permanent rule for implementing state forest closures, and to update an existing rule to include language clarifying that parking fees are[Read More…]

April 5 sees new swaths of Washington County residents eligible for vaccine

Ansu Drammeh, R.N., a cardiovascular intensive care nurse at OHSU, is given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday, December 16. Just three days after Governor Kate Brown said a fourth surge of the COVID-19 pandemic was at Oregon’s doorstep, the Oregon Health Authority announced that wide swaths of the population now[Read More…]

Sign up for free Gales Creek news in your inbox ↓