HEALTH CARE ●Breached Trust. Saint Alphonsus M e d i c a l C e n t e r Baker City — which closed its intensive care unit earlier this year — announced it would close Baker City’s only maternity ward. The nearest hospitals with labor and delivery are in Ontario, 74 miles away, and in La Grande, 44 miles away. ●Call the Nurse. The Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 523, which allows Oregon’s 17 community colleges to offer a bachelor of science in nursing, a move that would allow students to continue on from shorter nursing degrees already offered at many schools. HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM ●Coming In Hot. A restaurant, a chef and a labor union — all based in Portland — took home honors at the 2023 James Beard Awards. Gregory Gourdet’s celebrated Portland restaurant, Kann, was named “Best New Restaurant,” and Vince Nguyen, who serves contemporary Vietnamese food at Portland’s Berlu, was named “Best Chef: Northwest and Paci c.” The Burgerville Workers Union took home the Emerging Leadership award. ●A Slice of Fame. Ken’s Artisan Pizza was named America’s No. 3 pizzeria by Italy’s Top 50 Pizza organization during a Manhattan ceremony. The Southeast Portland restaurant also received a Green Oven award from the organization for its commitment to sustainability. LEGAL DRUGS ●We ed ed Out . The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission recalled batches of cannabis from two Oregon farms — one owned by Nectar and one owned by a Eugene farm called Rebel Spirit — after the product tested positive for a mold called aspergillus. in each of the next three biennia — totaling $1 billion over eight years. Washington state has already committed $1 billion toward the project’s $6 billion price tag. ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ●Will Lillard Scoot? The Portland Trail Blazers drafted 19-year-old point guard Scoot Henderson, fueling speculation that fellow point guard and seven-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard would leave or be traded. At press time, Lillard had announced no such plans. ●Down Home. The 8 Seconds Juneteenth rodeo, the rst ever Black rodeo to take place in Portland, was held at Portland’s Expo Center June 17. Portland-based photographer Ivan McClellan organized the event. POLITICS ●A Novel Development. Gov. Kotek named Portland city auditor turned mystery novelist LaVonne Grif n-Valade Oregon’s new secretary of state, lling a vacancy left by Shemia Fagan, who left following reports of a lucrative consulting contract with the troubled cannabis dispensary chain La Mota. ●The Boys Are Back in Town. Three Senate Republicans returned to Salem June 15, allowing the Oregon Legislature to reconvene after six weeks without a quorum — the longest legislative walkout in state history. ●Bringing Out the Big Guns. The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2572, which allows the Attorney General to seek a court order if the state has “reasonable cause to believe that a person or group of persons has engaged in, or is about to engage in, paramilitary activity.” ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ●Fired Up. A Multnomah County jury found Paci Corp’s Oregon utility, Paci c Power, had a hand in causing or worsening four wild res in 2020. The company asked state regulators to increase rates in order to pay the damages, effectively passing the cost on to consumers. EDUCATION ●School’s In. Gov. Tina Kotek announced that Dr. Charlene Williams, formerly the deputy superintendent for Evergreen Public Schools in Southwest Washington, will take over as interim director of the Oregon Department of Education in July. TRANSPORTATION ●What a Gas. The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2426, which would require gas stations to staff at least half of their open pumps for customers who want assistance — but allows them to leave the others open for self-service. ●Bridging the Gap. The Oregon Legislature approved $250 million in bond revenue for the Interstate bridge project over the next two years and pledged another $250 million ⁄Newsfeed⁄ Uh, honey? I think we better start driving. Yes, please. No, thanks! Aftermath of the Two-Four-Two fire that burned parts of Chiloquin during Labor Day weekend, 2020. Vince Nguyen MY PHOTO BUDDY/SHUTTERSTOCK 10
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