West
Portland considers banning gas-powered leaf blowers to assuage climate concerns
The city of Portland, Oregon, is considering a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers starting in 2026, citing health and climate concerns, air and noise pollution, as well as a disproportionate impact they have on minority and low-income communities.
The proposed ordinance out of Portland’s City Council would phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers starting in 2026 for all private and commercial use. If approved, Portland would join the ranks of 100 other cities in the U.S. that have limited or banned the use of gasoline leaf blowers.
“The use of gasoline leaf blowers can cause direct harm to people within the vicinity by contributing to localized air pollution, creating excessive noise, and causing other negative health impacts to their operators who disproportionately identify as Latinx or Hispanic,” the ordinance states.
Gas-powered leaf blowers cause other “negative health impacts to their operators who disproportionately identify as Latinx or Hispanic,” according to the Portland City Council. (Sarah Dussault/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)
Gas-powered blowers would still be permitted through 2028 from October 1 to December 31, because the city recognizes “electric leaf blowers are not yet powerful enough to practically move wet leaves during the winter season.” Effective January 1, 2028, gasoline leaf blowers would be prohibited all year.
MEET THE DEEP-POCKETED CLIMATE NONPROFIT PUSHING GAS STOVE BAN WITH DIRECT LINE TO BIDEN ADMIN, CHINA LINKS
The city’s Leaf Blower Policy Work Group recommended the ban because of the health impacts resulting from dangerous emissions, which “fall disproportionately on hired landscape maintenance workers from communities of color, low-income communities, and other historically marginalized populations.”
Downtown Portland, Oregon on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. (Moriah Ratner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The city also noted that gasoline leaf blowers commonly have “two-stroke engines that incompletely combust their fuel” which results in the emission of benzene and additional carcinogenic substances.
“In 2017, the city council established a goal of meeting 100 percent of community-wide energy needs using renewable energy by 2050 to help reduce the public health impacts of climate change, which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities already facing existing socioeconomic and health inequities,” the ordinance explained.
BLUE STATE’S BAG BAN MEANT TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT BACKFIRED AT STAGGERING RATE: STUDY
The first violation would be a warning, but for repeated violations, citizens could receive penalties of up to $1,000, according to KGW8.
Nearly 90% of people are in support of the ban, while most of the opposition has been over potential cost increases and the short time frame to transition to electric equipment, KGW8 reported. Eligible businesses would be able to receive a rebate through Multnomah County, which would enforce the ban, to replace gasoline equipment with electric blowers.
Over 100 other cities in the U.S. have limited or banned the use of gasoline leaf blowers. (MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images / Contributor)
“The phase out of gasoline powered leaf blowers will hopefully mark the beginning of a new chapter in our work on climate,” Multnomah County’s Sustainability Director John Wasiutynski told KGW8.
WHITE HOUSE CLIMATE CZAR MET PRIVATELY WITH ECO GROUP PUSHING GAS STOVE BANS
Local landscaper Malik Hopkins, who owns and operates his own business, said he isn’t opposed to making changes to help curb climate concerns, but explained he still relies on gas-powered blowers, the local outlet reported. He called the move a “pro-con” thing, because electric batteries don’t last as long as a tank of gas and that the electric blowers are not as powerful as gas-powered.
“It’s going to affect a lot of people, especially people who cannot afford it (like) guys that are starting out,” he said. “Those batteries will go for about two or 300 bucks.”
Read the full article from Here
WATCH: Big Sky beats buzzer to top Hellgate at AA tourney
WATCH: Big Sky beats buzzer to top Hellgate at AA tourney
The Great Falls High and C.M. Russell High girls’ track and field teams are set to host the Optimist Club Invitational on Saturday, April 25, at Memorial Stadium.
The annual meet serves as a midseason state-meet preview of sorts as the top athletes from across Class AA all come together to see how the field is stacking up head-to-head.
The meet begins at 11:15 a.m. with pole vault, long jump, javelin and shot put, while the 100-meter hurdles kick off the running events at noon. For a full schedule, visit the Optimist Meet page at athletic.net.
Here’s a look at the top competitors in each event heading into the Optimist, as well as where Great Falls athletes stack up.
Montana Class AA Girls Track and Field Leaders (as of April 23)
*Numbers in parentheses next to the event indicate AA automatic state-qualifying marks
100 (13.00)
1. Emery Peel, Billings Senior, 12.18; 2. Quinlyn Simmons, Helena High, 12.37; 3. Carleigh Mahn, Billings West, 12.47; 4. Nora Allen, Billings West, 12.61; 5. Isabella Donaghey, Gallatin, 12.62.
200 (26.70)
1. Carleigh Mann, Billings West, 25.53; 2. Emery Peel, Billings Senior, 25.63; 3. Cora Carahassen, Billings Senior, 25.95; 4. Quinlyn Simmons, Helena High, 26.01; 5. Nora Allen, Billings West, 26.02.
400 (1:01.00)
1. Aliyah Vogel, Billings West, 58.81; 2. Emery Peel, Billings Senior, 58.94; 3. Leah Roberts, Billings Skyview, 1:00.60; 5. Nya Myers, Missoula Big Sky, 1:00.81.
800 (2:24.00)
1. Hazel Cooper, Gallatin, 2:16.34; 2. Aliyah Vogel, Billings West, 2:18.75; 3. Phoebe Maixner, Bozeman High, 2:19.42; 4. Kylee Neil, Bozeman High, 2:20.71; 5. Dacia Benkelman, 2:22.28.
1600 (5:23.00)
1. Ada Thiel, Glacier, 4:53.63; 2. Phoebe Maixner, Bozeman High, 5:15.62; 3. Lauren Bissen, Glacier, 5:15.98; 4. Dacia Benkelman, Glacier, 5:18.73; 5. Hazel Cooper, Gallatin, 5:19.13.
3200 (11:50.00)
1. Phoebe Maixner, Bozeman High, 10:56.82; 2. Lauren Bissen, Glacier, 10:59.91; 3. Kylee Neil, Bozeman High, 11:16.50; 4. Reed Stromberg, Missoula Hellgate, 11:27.40; 5. Jane Allen, Billings West, 11:40.32.
100 hurdles (16.30)
1. Bristol Lenz, Flathead, 14.95; 2. Anita Black, Gallatin, 15.40; 3. Scarlet Harris, Great Falls High, 15.45; 4. Aizalyn Flaten, Gallatin, 15.66; Paisley Johnson, Missoula Hellgate, 15.71.
-Scarlet Harris, GFH: The junior was second in the event at the state meet last season (15.39) and has a personal best in her career of 15.14, which she ran as a freshman.
300 hurdles (48.50)
1. Aizalyn Flaten, Gallatin, 45.37; 2. Nya Myers, Missoula Big Sky, 45.99; 3. June Lay, Helena Capital, 46.92; 4. Paisley Johnson, Missoula Hellgate, 46.95; 5. Addison Brisendine, Glacier, 47.55.
-Aizalyn Flaten, Gallatin: Flaten, who was an All-State cross-country runner for CMR as a freshman and sophomore and was sixth at state last year in the triple jump while attending Great Falls High, was All-State (third, 46.59) in the event for the Rustlers as a freshman.
-Harris, GFH: Harris just missed the state podium last year in seventh. Her career-best time in the 300 came last year at the Optimist (45.58). She is just off the state-qualifying time this year at 48.62.
4×100 relay (50.60)
1. Billings West, 48.54; 2. Billings Senior, 49.23; 3. Big Sky, 49.33; 4. Helena High, 49.54; 5. Flathead, 49.87.
4×400 (4:12.00)
1. Billings West, 4:03.22; 2. Billings Senior, 4:07.62; 3. Gallatin, 4:09.73; 4. Glacier, 4:10.41; 5. Flathead, 4:14.17.
Shot put (35’3”)
1. Kate Breeding, Gallatin, 43-01; 2. Mena Kamps, Gallatin, 38-00; 3. Fayth Smith, Billings Senior, 37-07; 4. Allie Krueger, Glacier, 37-01; 5. Brittyn Boyce, Billings West, 35-10.
Discus (113’)
1. Brittyn Boyce, Billings West, 131-04; 2. Rylee Bigelow, Glacier, 125-08; 3. Laktynn Johnson, Billings West, 123-08; 4. Lowe LeFeber, Bozeman High, 121-10; 5. Brooklyn Kopp, Hellgate, 121-08.
Javelin (113’)
1. Elsa Johnson, Billings West, 137-08; 2. Kate Breeding, Gallatin, 132-08; 3. Remi Osler, Glacier, 124-02; 4. Kaelyn Saari, Helena Capital, 119-01; 5. Lucy Holloway, Glacier, 118-05.
-Aila Wood, GFH: The senior is ranked seventh in the event this season and has qualified for state (114-09).
High jump (5’2”)
1. Elly Reed, Hellgate, 5-06; 2. Kate Lindsay, Gallatin, 5-04; T3. (All 5-02) Tayah Osier, CMR; Hayden Wiening, Belgrade; Ruby Roscoe, Hellgate, Brooklyn Metcalf, Billings West; Paisley Johnson, Hellgate.
-Osier, CMR: The junior, also a volleyball star for the Rustlers, was a state-qualifier in the event last year and was eighth.
Pole vault (10’)
1. Addison Smith, Great Falls High, 12-00; 2. Naomi Lee, Sentinel, 11-06; T3. Nevaeh Varner, Billings West; Knoelle Ferguson, Helena Capital, 11-00; T5. Madison Armeding, Big Sky; Clara Randall, Billings West, 10-00.
-Smith, GFH: The senior was second at state last season at 11-03 when competing for CMR and has cleared 12-00 twice this season.
Long jump (16’6”)
1. Calla Sprecher, Bozeman High, 18-04; 2. Kate Lindsay, Gallatin, 17-06.5; 3. Zeila Wagner, Glacier, 17-03; Aizalyn Flaten, Gallatin, 17-02; 5. Tayah Osier, CMR, 17-01.5
Harris and Osier: Harris was All-State in the long last year in sixth at 16-11.25 and has a personal best of 17-04.5. She is ranked ninth this spring at 16-11.5 and has qualified for state. Osier was a state qualifier in the event as a sophomore.
Triple jump (34’)
1. Calla Sprecher, Bozeman High, 36-07.5; 2. Gabby Alec-Rebolledo, Big Sky, 36-06; 3. Aizalyn Flaten, Gallatin, 36-05; 4. Teagan Hegdal, CMR, 34-09.5; 5. Rachel Brannan, Glacier, 34-08.25.
Hegdal, CMR: The sophomore is coming off a freshman year in which she qualified for state in both the long and triple jumps.
NEVADA (KOLO) – Three more Nevada counties have been included in a disaster declaration over drought conditions.
Elko, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties have now been added to the list of counties in the state of Nevada the USDA says are experiencing extreme drought.
Their inclusion in the list allows the Farm Service Agency to extend emergency credit to producers through emergency loans.
The loans can be used to replace essential items, reorganize farming operations and more.
The deadline to apply for such credit is Dec. 10.
Extreme drought has previously been declared in Clark, Esmeralda and Nye Counties in Nevada as well as for Mono County and Inyo County in California.
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.
DEMING, N.M. — New Mexico State Police are investigating a shooting involving the U.S. Marshals Service that happened Thursday in Deming.
Police have an active presence near the 200 block of Cedar Street. They’re asking you to avoid the area “until further notice.”
Details are limited. However, State Police will share more information once it becomes available.
-
Indiana3 minutes ago99th Fire Department Instructors Conference draws 38,000 firefighters to Indy
-
Iowa9 minutes agoSee where all 9 Iowa State women’s basketball transfers ended up
-
Kentucky21 minutes agoIntrepido horse trainer, jockey, owner for Kentucky Derby 2026
-
Louisiana27 minutes ago2 critical, multiple hurt following mass shooting at Mall of Louisiana
-
Maine33 minutes agoSouthern Maine’s 5 boys track teams to watch
-
Maryland39 minutes agoVirginia, Pennsylvania breweries dominate World Beer Cup; MD medals
-
Michigan45 minutes agoLSU big man Jalen Reed commits to Michigan | UM Hoops.com
-
Massachusetts51 minutes agoMassachusetts tops U.S. in AI job loss risk, Tufts report says