EUGENE: EWEB reports it is modernizing utility infrastructure to enhance efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. The initiative includes upgrading to smart meters, which commenced in 2018, as part of ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and meet evolving industry standards. However, the utility says a small but vocal faction of smart grid opponents is obstructing EWEB’s ability to install the new meters on their properties, resorting to threats against utility workers and tactics...

Fire management officials for the Willamette National Forest expect to begin prescribed burning across approximately 500 acres in multiple Ranger Districts within the next few weeks, depending on weather, ground, and vegetation conditions. Timing is critical when planning for prescribed burns. Spring in Oregon gives fire managers the vegetation moisture and other conditions needed to fit their specific objectives, which are often unique to each project and limited to a 24-hour permit window....

RAINBOW: “My vision has deteriorated so quickly, and without insurance coverage for vision care, I felt lost and worried about my future,” according to Jane, a McKenzie River resident. Her relief was palpable after receiving essential vision care at a mobile clinic hosted by Casey Eye Institute and Orchid Health. “I can’t express how grateful I am. This service was exactly what I needed, she added. This Spring Break, Jane was among 106 individuals who benefited from the mobile vision...

VIDA: Ideas on ways local businesses could work together to improve the McKenzie area’s regional economy were at the core of a meeting last Saturday. The hour-and-a-half gathering at the Vida McKenzie Community Center drew about a dozen people representing businesses ranging from resorts to river guiding. Discussions centered on a model that’s been used to revitalize communities around the United States for about 40 years. By recognizing that rural economies could benefit from a custom...

Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle

A primary in rural Lane County will determine whether the Oregon House Republican caucus will include candidates who differ from the party line on abortion. First-term Rep. Charlie Conrad, R-Dexter, faces a challenge from Republican business owner Darin Harbick in the 12th House District, which stretches south and east from Eugene to scoop up small rural communities including the McKenzie Valley, Creswell, Cottage Grove and Lowell. Conrad has earned praise from colleagues and some...

Hive Five: Oregon’s New Favorite 2024 Hobby is Beekeeping. It’s not just about getting your delicious honey (though that’s a big plus!), it’s also about helping these little pollinators thrive, which in turn brightens up your garden. At its core, beekeeping involves the care and management of honeybee colonies, often in man-made hives. What makes it particularly appealing is the deep connection it fosters with the natural world, allowing people to play a direct role in supporting the...

NIMROD: The picturesque Eagle Rock Lodge was again the site for the McKenzie River Wooden Boat Festival. The annual event along the banks of this iconic river may have drifted by on April 27th but it continued as a tribute to local river history and the craft of wooden boat building—a testament to community and the spirited camaraderie shared on the river. The event included old and new, large and small, boasting over forty boats displaying both tradition and creativity. Among them were...

Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Oregon’s getting better at preventing and responding to wildfires, experts said Thursday, but much more still needs to be done. A panel of University of Oregon professors who study climate change, smoke, and wildfire discussed the 2024 wildfire season in an online forum with journalists as the West braces for summer fires. Wildfire risk in the West and Oregon this year is not abnormally higher than in recent years, said Daniel Gavin, a professor in the geography department who specializes in...