News Briefs

The 44th Annual Lane County Home & Garden Show will host more than 300 exhibits from March 8th to 10th at the Lane County Fairgrounds, 796 W. 13th Ave, in Eugene.

Headlining the show will be the Northwest’s favorite gardener, Ciscoe Morris with OH LA LA Gardening. Discover an acre of exhibits staffed by trusted home and garden contractors, retailers, and suppliers. Shop for the latest in spas, tractors, garden equipment, building materials, and home décor.

Learn how to get your next project going at 40 home improvement, remodeling, building, and gardening seminars, and register to win $4,500 in KEZI-9 prizes.

Admission is free with a donation of three cans of food for FOOD for Lane County, or $5 tickets at the door. Parking is free and show hours are Friday, noon–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.– 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

For more information, go to EugeneHomeShow.com, email [email protected], or call 541-484-9247.

Soil tests

The Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District is offering FREE Residential Home-Garden Soil Testing to McKenzie River Residents Impacted by the Holiday Farm Fire through June 1st. The home garden soil tests will test for nutrients and pH balance, and results will include information on soil deficiencies and recommended inputs.

Officials recommend that wildfire-impacted soil be tested for nutrients before planting. The tests will determine nutrient deficiencies for re-establishing productive home gardens but will not test for contaminants. For instructions for collecting soil samples and analysis go to: uwswcd.org/what-we-do/soil/

Allow up to four weeks from the date of pick up to receive a soil analysis report. The analysis can be emailed to you or if email is not available, alternative options to receive your analysis will be provided.

For more information, phone: 541-729-1139 or email: [email protected].

Gas prices

House Bill 4147, which would allow school districts to add cameras to school buses to catch and ticket drivers who break state law by blowing past the stop signs and flashing red lights has passed the Oregon House on a bipartisan 49-5 vote and is headed to the Senate.

Oregon could join 24 states that have laws allowing the cameras, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended every state allow the cameras after a pickup truck driver struck four children, killing three of them, in Indiana in 2018.

Oregon bus drivers have documented 1,427 incidents of drivers illegally passing them on one day, and around the U.S. bus drivers reported more than 62,000 violations in a single day.

However, funding for school districts to add cameras - or for local police to review footage and send tickets - wasn’t included in the bill.