Springfield and Eugene are reexamining rules banning camping on public property
Springfield and Eugene have begun reexamining their policies on people sleeping on public property, following court rulings and changes to state law. Cities across Oregon must update their laws and policies by July 1, 2023, or risk noncompliance with a new state law passed last year. That law prohibits cities from outright bans on camping in public spaces but does allow for regulations that most people, including those experiencing homelessness, would consider fair. Springfield City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith said the city’s ordinance does not comply because it now bans sleeping in anything from a sleeping bag to a lean-to or other structure on public property. Eugene officials are reviewing its code and practices and plan to begin discussions in January. (Megan Banta/Register-Guard)
Alpenrose Dairy buys Larsen’s Creamery, plans move
Alpenrose Dairy, a Southwest Portland institution since 1916, is finalizing a deal to purchase Larsen’s Creamery in nearby Clackamas. Terms were not disclosed, though the sale is expected to close by the end of the year. Alpenrose plans to move its production, distribution and warehouse operations to Larsen’s nine-acre campus in late 2023. The move keeps Alpenrose rooted in the Portland metro area while expanding its home delivery grocery service to more east-side neighborhoods, starting with Damascus in December, said Josh Reynolds, the dairy’s vice president and general manager. (George Plaven/Capital Press)
Error in Salem bond measure could delay construction
A missing sentence in a ballot title for a bond measure in the Marion County voter’s pamphlet could delay some Salem construction projects funded by the bond. The $300 million infrastructure bond passed, but then Salem officials discovered the error this week and are beginning to correct the error through the judicial process. The measure funds community-wide investments in streets, sidewalks, parks, fire trucks and equipment, two new fire stations to improve response times, affordable housing, the purchasing of sites for affordable housing and branch libraries, cybersecurity for city operations, and Civic Center seismic improvements. (Whitney Woodworth/Statesman Journal)
Reed College professor resigns after video prompts investigation
A tenured psychology professor at Portland’s Reed College is stepping down following protests that arose when a video online showed him berating an employee at a fast-food restaurant. In March, Professor Paul Currie had come under fire from students and the community when a TikTok video showed him interrogating the employee from his vehicle at a drive-thru. In the video, Currie cites “rude behavior” and asks where the employee was born, inquires about another employee’s immigration status and calls them “illegal immigrants.” Currie apologized for his behavior and said he feels “intense shame and regret” for an event he doesn’t remember because of medication he said he was taking at the time. (Courtney Vaughn/Portland Tribune)
Transitional housing project breaks ground in Hermiston
Construction will soon begin on a project in Hermiston that provides transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness in Umatilla County. Project PATH is a joint effort by the Stepping Stones Alliance and four cities in the region, taking about three years to become reality after meeting some public resistance. The project got a boost with some recent funding from a $1 million state grant to the city of Umatilla. (Beau Glynn/East Oregonian)