September 27, 2026

West of the Tunnel

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  • Oregon Department of Education Has Failed to Oversee $338 Million Program for Boosting High School Graduation Rates The Public Service Building in Salem houses the central offices of the Department of Education. ~ Photo from the Oregon State Archives Scenic Images collection September 23, 2026 Oregon Journalism Project

    The Oregon Department of Education is not properly tracking its High School Success program,the Secretary of State’s office reported in an audit.

    The program provides funds to high schools to support programs in career and technical education as one way to improve graduation rates. A previous audit in 2024 identified eight problems, including the failure to collect baseline data to compare against the results. The new audit said said that ODE has only fully corrected one of the eight issues, the Oregon Journalism Project reported.

    Read the full story…
  • Oregon has one of the nation’s largest funding gaps to meet road maintenance needs The Oregon Department of Transportation works on safety improvements along the Portland and Gresham city limits. ~ Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation September 20, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Mia Maldonado

    Oregon has a large gap between what it spends on road maintenance and what it needs to spend — one of the highest gaps in the country — according to an article in the Oregon Capitol Chronicle and data from the PEW Charitable Trusts.

    Oregon will need to more than double its planned roadway maintenance spending to close the cap, according to the study.

    Read the full story…

     
  • New Poll Shows Drazan With Slight Lead in Governor’s Race Oregon gubernatorial candidates Tina Kotek, left, and state Sen. Christine Drazan. September 15, 2026 Oregon Journalism Project | Nigel Jaquiss

    A new poll shows Republican nominee, state Sen. Christine Drazan (R-Canby), with a 2% lead over the incumbent, Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, within the poll’s 4% margin of error, reports the Oregon Journalism Project.

    The Sept. 11 poll was conducted by DHM Research of Portland for the business-backed group Grow Oregon and is based on a sampling of 600 likely voters.

    Read the full story…

     
  • Trump’s Signature Bill Rewards Oregon for Its Food Stamp Incompetence Yvonne Stoffer, onsite manager of the Albany Farmers Market, works at the booth where SNAP recipients can trade their benefits for tokens that allow them to shop at the market. ~ Photo by Penny Rosenberg September 15, 2026 Oregon Journalism Project | Penny Rosenberg

    Oregon’s food stamp program has had one of the highest error rates in the country over the past decade.

    But because of a loophole in the tax bill passed last year by the Republican controlled Congress, Oregon will face no penalties, at least for a year, according to a story by the Oregon Journalism Project.

    The state has one or perhaps two years to reduce the error rate significantly to avoid future penalties.

    Read more…
  • Gray whales decline in the PNW tied to a changing Bering Sea Gray whale mother and her calf on their northbound migration. ~ Photo courtesy NOAA Fisheries September 15, 2026 KLCC | Brianna Bowman

    Once considered a conservation success, the eastern North Pacific gray whale population has fallen in the past decade. It peaked at an estimated 27,000 whales in 2016, but fell to roughly 13,000 by 2025, the lowest estimate since the 1970s.

    Scientists from around the world met last week at a symposium in Newport to discuss the future of the whale, tying the decline at least in part to warming temperatures in the Bering Sea which have reduced the food supply for the migrating whale.
  • Oregon lawmakers approve more than $120 million to cover cost of 2026 wildfires Wildfire smoke rolls over the skies near Warm Springs along U.S. Highway 26 on July 25, 2026. ~ Photo by Oregon Department of Transportation September 10, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Mia Maldonado

    Oregon lawmakers approved nearly $123 million to help cover the costs of this year’s wildfire season.

    As of late August, wildfires had scorched across 2.5 million acres and cost the state $236.2 million. Those costs are expected to reach $350 million by the end of the wildfire season — putting 2026 on track to surpass the state’s previous $318 million record when wildfires scorched 1.9 million acres in 2024.

    Read the full story…

     
  • Oregon Health Authority allows COVID-19 vaccines statewide September 10, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman

    The Oregon Health Authority(OHA) will allow vaccine providers statewide to begin administering updated COVID-19 vaccines as soon as this weekend.

    Read the full the story…
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff down more than a third nationwide, 40% in Oregon, under the current administration A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist examines macroinvertebrates at the National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole, Wyo. The agency has lost 1,900 scientists due to early retirements, buyouts and cuts under the Trump Administration. ~ Photo courtesy of Kari Cieszkiewicz/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service September 7, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Alex Baumhardt

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife went from nearly 10,000 staffers in 2024 to just over 6,300 today, according to federal data obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity.

    The number of Fish and Wildlife employees in Oregon is down 40% since 2024, from 434 full, part-time and seasonal staff in 2024 to 257 as of this year.

    Read the full story from the Oregon Capitol Chronicle…
  • Oregonians will pay record gas prices this Labor Day weekend Over Labor Day 2026, the Oregon average price of gasoline will jump 12 cents to $4.89 a gallon. Of course, gas prices vary depending upon the location. ~ Photo by Tiffany Eckert/KLCC September 3, 2026 KLCC | Tiffany Eckert

    Oregonians will face record gas prices this Labor Day weekend, according to the American Automobile Association. Prices in Oregon are averaging $4.89 per gallon.

    The war in Iran is the principal cause of the high cost of fuel, AAA spokesperson told KLCC.

    Despite the highest-ever gas prices for Labor Day, AAA expects record travel over the three-day holiday weekend.

    Read more…

     
  • Oregon lawmaker to propose financial support for small cities left in financial limbo September 2, 2026 Oregon Capitol Chronicle | Mia Maldonado

    Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, announced last week a plan to introduce during the 2027 Legislative session a proposed $1 million fund housed at the state’s economic development agency Business Oregon, which would allow cities with fewer than 20,000 residents to apply for a grant or low-interest loan to maintain parks, libraries, museums and other essential community spaces when they face budget crises.  The grants and loans would be available up to $50,000, Evans said.

    The proposal was inspired by the city of Independence last week closing five of its parks, citing insufficient funding to maintain them, he said. Two have since reopened after receiving a $30,000 grant from the nonprofit, Friends of Community Parks, the Statesman Journal reported.

    Read more…

More Local News

  • New: The Puzzle #14 September 26, 2026
  • Western Lane Ambulance District Levy on the November Ballot The main station for Western Lane Fire & EMS Authority, on Highway 101 in Florence. ~ Photo courtesy of Western Lane Fire & EMS Authority September 22, 2026 KLCC | Karen Richards

    Area voters will decide in November whether to renew an expiring levy for ambulance services from the Western Lane Ambulance District.

    If the levy passes, the cost to taxpayers would remain the same, at $45 per year for each $100,000 of assessed property value.

    Read the full story from KLCC…
  • Siuslaw National Forest rescinds restrictions on campfires September 18, 2026 Press Release | Siuslaw National Forest

    Read more…
  • Walk for Breast Cancer returns to Florence in October Members of the Lincoln County cancer-fighting group CoastBusters promote their upcoming fundraising walks Sept. 26 in Newport and Oct. 3 in Florence during the Beachcombers Festival parade in Waldport. ~ Photo Quinton Smith/Lincoln Chronicle September 2, 2026 Lincoln Chronicle | Cheryl Romano

    CoastBusters Walk for Breast Cancer will be in Florence on October 3, 2026, at the Siuslaw Middle School.

    After taking a year off in 2025 to mourn the loss of their co-founder and regroup, this year’s events will be held in memory of Sonia Graham, who co-founded the organization with Jeanette Campagna to support area breast cancer patients and their families.

    Participants can register on the CoastBusters’ website.

    Businesses, sponsors, volunteers and community partners are also invited to participate, as CoastBusters gears up for what it expects to be its biggest year since its start in 2021. Since then, the group has staged walk-a-thons and other events to help patients and their families along the central coast, raising almost $150,000.

    Donations can be made online to support those in Lincoln County and in Lane County. People preferring to write a check may mail it to CoastBusters, P.O. Box 1804, Newport, Ore. 97365. Anyone who donates will get a receipt for their tax-deductible contributions.
  • Car crashes into the Travelodge hotel August 31, 2026 Press Release | Florence Police Department

    A red SUV crashed into the Travelodge on Route 101 on Saturday evening, August 29, injuring a woman inside the motel, according to a press release from the Florence Police Department.

    The initial investigation of the scene, combined with eyewitness statements, indicates that the driver left the Circle K at a high speed, crossed 101, crashed through the Edward Jones Investment building before crashing into the Travelodge, trapping a woman inside. Western Lane Fire and EMS Authority extracted the woman from the room and both the victim and driver were transported to Peace Harbor Hospital.

    The crash remains under investigation and felony charges against the driver are pending, according to the press release.

    Read the full press release…
  • Siuslaw National Forest raises fire danger level The Three Buttes Fire northeast of Florence on September 11, 2023. ~ File photo by Will Yurman August 12, 2026 Press Release | Siuslaw National Forest

    The Siuslaw National Forest is raising the fire danger level from moderate to high, effective August 13, 2026, they announced in a press release.

    “Local firefighters have already detected and contained several small fires on the Forest this year,” said Anne Trapanese, Deputy Fire Staff Officer-Fuels with Northwest Oregon Interagency Fire Management. “With the hot and dry conditions in western Oregon, we want to urge the public to remain vigilant in preventing human-caused wildfires and follow all fire restrictions,” Trapanese said in the press release.

    Read the full release…
  • Road Work on Rhododendron Drive August 7, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman

    Be prepared for road construction starting Monday on Rhododendron Drive, from 9th Street to Wild Winds Street.

    Read More…
  • Cooling Centers in the County A 2024 file photo of the Siuslaw Public Library ~ Photo by Will Yurman August 5, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman

    Warm temperatures and poor air quality are in the forecast for all of Lane County including the coast.

    In Florence and Mapleton, the library is a cooling center. The DHS office in Florence is as well.

    Read the story to get the full list.
  • Fee increases proposed for Siuslaw National Forest August 2, 2026 Press Release | Siuslaw National Forest

    The Siuslaw National Forest has proposed fee increases to nearly two dozen recreation sites in the national forest area. Click to see the full list of sites, and the proposed fee changes.

    The public is invited to comment, and the Forest Service has extended the comment period through September 18. See the press release for how to submit your comments by mail, email or online.
  • Postcards July 23, 2026 WotT | Will Yurman When a picture is worth a thousand words.