Oregon

Debbie Colbert named first woman to lead Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2024

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Debbie Colbert named first woman to lead Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

An insider at Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has been named the agency’s next leader.

Debbie Colbert was unanimously chosen in a vote late Friday afternoon by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Colbert is a deputy director at the agency, leading its fish and wildlife programs, and has spent much of her career working in natural resources in the state.

She’ll replace Curt Melcher, who’s been director since 2015. He retired in April after four decades at the agency.

“Debbie Colbert brings the breadth of experience needed to lead this agency forward,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a written statement Friday. “She is known for collaboration and taking challenges head on to improve critical fish and wildlife habitats in Oregon.”

Colbert is the first woman to lead ODFW, but in another key way represents a continuation of tradition: the Fish and Wildlife Commission has a long history of appointing agency staff, and of renewing their four-year terms.

Colbert was up against Kaitlin Lovell, a scientist and attorney who manages the Fish and Wildlife Division at Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, and who was the preferred pick of the Center for Biological Diversity.

“For too long the department has concentrated its resources on hunting and fishing, neglecting animals that aren’t of interest as targets. With the extinction crisis and climate breakdown getting worse every day, that won’t fly anymore,” the nonprofit advocacy group wrote in an email a day before the Fish and Wildlife Commission met to vote on ODFW’s next leader.

The Center for Biological Diversity said it endorsed Lovell as an outsider with a track record of conservation.

Colbert emphasized her own commitment to conservation during an hourslong meeting in which she and Lovell responded to questions submitted by ODFW staff Friday, ahead of the commission’s vote.

“I will continue to bring a sense of urgency on delivering results in the face of growing complexity and challenges,” Colbert said in an opening statement to the commission. “I am also very committed to positioning the agency so it engages all Oregonians. Our tent extends to everyone who wants to protect and enhance fish, wildlife and their habitats.”

Before joining ODFW, Colbert worked for the Oregon Water Resources Department. She holds a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary oceanography and was a 2022 National Conservation Leadership Fellow.

ODFW runs fish hatcheries, issues fishing and hunting licenses, and protects and restores habitat for northwest fish and animal species. The agency employs 1,200 people in 33 offices across the state.

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Oregon

Oil prices spike amid Iran war; Oregon gas remains above national average

Published

12 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Oil prices spike amid Iran war; Oregon gas remains above national average

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Oil prices continue to soar Monday as the war in Iran shows no signs of slowing down. Oregon’s gas prices are above the national average.

Production and shipping in the Middle East have been jeopardized by the conflict, pummeling financial markets.

The Associated Press reported that the price for a barrel of Brent crude surged to $119 on Monday. That’s the highest level it’s been since the summer after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Brent crude is the international standard.

RELATED| High oil prices won’t limit Trump’s actions in Iran war: Hegseth

The prices fell to just under $100 later Monday, but barrels are still 36% more expensive than they were before Israel and the United States attacked Iran on Feb. 28.

Today’s AAA national average is $3.478, whereas Oregon’s current average across the state is $4.205.

SEE ALSO | New video shows US Tomahawk hit Iranian Naval Base near school

The average in Oregon just a year ago was 3.730, demonstrating a 12% increase since then.

Still, Washington State’s current average remains higher than Oregon’s, at $4.630.

Malheur County in Oregon currently has the cheapest gas price at $3.499, while Josephine has the more expensive at $4.447.

AAA suggests maintaining cars to the manufacturer’s recommendations can help save fuel. The agency also recommends slowing down and driving the speed limit, avoiding “jackrabbit” starts and hard accelerations and avoiding extended idling to warm up the engine, in winter and even prolonged idling in general.

Research by AAA has shown that premium fuel provides no added benefit unless it is recommended or required by the car’s manufacturer.

Vice President and Global Head of crude oil research at at S&P Global Energy Jim Burkhard said in an analysis on Monday that, at first, the crisis was a transportation issue, “which could conceivably be resolved quickly.”

However, he explained that production and storage concerns are increasingly piling up and restoration “will be a massive technical exercise that could last weeks or more.”

Energy experts’ opinions are clashing, as some warn the war could contribute to even higher oil prices in the near future. In particular, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for only a few weeks, oil and gas strategists at Macquarie Research said the price of crude could push to a $150 per barrel or higher. Such prices would top previous peaks of nearly $147, which were reached just before the 2008 financial crisis.

Others, however, don’t expect the disruptions to last much longer. Oxford Economics researchers predict prices will soon fall to an average of $80 a barrel for the quarter, but noted today that the “risk of a more prolonged crisis has clearly increased.”

Iran exports roughly 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, mostly to China, which has called for an immediate end to the fighting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oregon

Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for March 8

Published

24 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 8 drawing

1PM: 5-0-5-7

4PM: 9-6-4-3

7PM: 1-4-8-5

10PM: 7-9-3-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Oregon

Oregon State Beavers and San Francisco Dons square off in WCC Tournament

Published

2 days ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Oregon State Beavers and San Francisco Dons square off in WCC Tournament

San Francisco Dons (17-15, 9-10 WCC) vs. Oregon State Beavers (16-15, 9-9 WCC)

Paradise, Nevada; Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Oregon State and San Francisco play in the WCC Tournament.

The Beavers are 9-9 against WCC opponents and 7-6 in non-conference play. Oregon State averages 11.3 turnovers per game and is 5-2 when it wins the turnover battle.

The Dons are 9-10 against WCC teams. San Francisco averages 74.6 points while outscoring opponents by 1.6 points per game.

Oregon State averages 8.2 made 3-pointers per game, 1.1 more made shots than the 7.1 per game San Francisco gives up. San Francisco averages 74.6 points per game, 0.2 more than the 74.4 Oregon State allows to opponents.

The teams square off for the third time this season. Oregon State won the last meeting 90-63 on Feb. 13. Jorge Diaz Graham scored 18 to help lead Oregon State to the victory, and Ryan Beasley scored 17 points for San Francisco.

TOP PERFORMERS: Josiah Lake is averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals for the Beavers. Johan Munch is averaging 11.0 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 55.7% over the last 10 games.

Beasley is scoring 13.4 points per game and averaging 3.3 rebounds for the Dons. Legend Smiley is averaging 1.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Beavers: 6-4, averaging 72.3 points, 31.0 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 5.0 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.2 points per game.

Dons: 4-6, averaging 73.0 points, 28.7 rebounds, 12.7 assists, 4.6 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.2 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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