Oregon
Young Oregon Ducks running backs Davison, Hill ready to lead in 2026
Watch Oregon center Iapani Laloulu talk about his love for Eugene
Oregon center Iapani Laloulu says ‘I’m from Eugene’ when talking about his love for the Ducks program, Eugene and Oregon.
Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. burst onto the scene last fall when the then-freshmen running back duo injected a thrilling, big-play, nose-for-the-end zone element to an already-potent Oregon offense.
They combined to rush for 1,323 yards – split almost evenly – and 20 rushing touchdowns, with Davison accounting for a team-leading 15 of those scores.
So, it was revealing to hear running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples claim all that production came from a pair of players who “really didn’t know what they were doing” as they navigated their first season on a College Football Playoff championship contender.
That won’t be the case this coming season when Davison and Hill are expected to be the two main components of the Ducks’ rushing attack.
“They’re going through the maturation process. They’re growing,” Samples said April 2 after Oregon’s fourth practice of the spring. “They have to understand who they are as players, understand their strengths and weaknesses.
“They were operating off pure talent last year. They’ve gotten in the film room more, they understand the game conceptually, what we’re trying to accomplish. … They should be key parts of not just the backfield, but the offense.”
Davison’s role as a freshman evolved from being a short-yardage, goal-line bulldozer in the first half of the season when the 6-foot, 236-pounder started exhibiting an ability to break off long runs. He finished with 667 yards on 113 carries in 14 games. He missed the CFP semifinal Peach Bowl loss to Indiana with a broken clavicle.
“The ceiling is really high,” Samples said. “Obviously he’s a big guy by nature. He carries weight so easily, he’s so physical.”
Hill (5-11, 205) showed electric play-making ability throughout the season. He finished with 656 yards rushing on 75 carries and also caught 16 passes for 137 yards and a score. He led the Big Ten Conference and ranked second nationally with an average of 8.75 yards per carry, was tied for sixth in the Big Ten with eight rushes of 20-plus yards, tied for fourth in the Big Ten with three rushes of 50-plus yards and tied for the conference lead with two runs of 60-plus yards.
“He’s made an outstanding jump in pass (protection), understanding defense,” Samples said. “I mean, he’s even surprised me. … He’s taken a huge leap.”
Samples said one of the goals for Davison this offseason is improving his ability to elude tacklers once he breaks through the line of scrimmage.
“He’s already physically imposing so you don’t want to tackle that guy,” Samples said. “But if he can make guys miss at the second level, if he can make guys miss on the perimeter, it’s gonna be scary.”
It’s the opposite offseason approach for Hill.
“Dierre can do some things on the perimeter like nobody can,” Samples said. “In between the tackles, if he can continue to take his play to the next level, those guys have a chance to be like some of the best backs in the country.”
Oregon’s running back room had significant turnover after the Ducks ended the 2025 regular season.
Starter Noah Whittington graduated, and Jay Harris (Kansas State), Jayden Limar (Washington) and Makhi Hughes (Houston) transferred.
Besides sophomores Davison and Hill, the Ducks roster includes third-year back Da’Jaun Riggs, who played in five games last fall before an undisclosed injury ended his season; a pair of four-star freshmen in Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith; and Colorado transfer Simeon Price, a six-year veteran who has played in 38 career games – two more then the rest of the group combined.
“He’s a seasoned vet,” Samples said of Price. “He’s a grown man. He goes about his business; he plays the game hard. He’s in the film room every single day. He’s probably up there already watching practice. He’s stretching, he’s encouraging guys to do yoga and drink beet juice. He brings some consistency to the room and he has some ability also.”
Off the field, Whittington was the undisputed leader of the group last season, and his departure leaves a void Sample said will most likely be filled by the group, not any one individual.
“The honest truth is, whenever you lose a guy like Noah Whittington, you can’t replace that, right?” Samples said. “So, first is being honest about that. … but the young guys have grown up. I mean, Dierre has grown up. He speaks more. Jordon has grown up. Those guys didn’t say a word last year. They were just happy to play football.”
More is anticipated from both this season, if not expected. Samples said both are putting in the effort to make those expectations a reality.
“Those guys haven’t arrived yet, but they’re working towards it,” the coach said. “They understand that. And you know, they take that challenge every single day. They don’t act like guys that think they’ve arrived. They’re working every single day.”
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com.
Oregon
OHA reverses course on adult supervision mandate for children at public pools
The health authority said it will engage in “community conversations” for similar rulemaking processes going forward.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Public health leaders are walking back a rule requiring adult supervision for some minors at Oregon pools.
Public pools statewide must now post signage stating the Oregon Health Authority recommends that individuals over 18 accompany children under the age of 14, officials announced on Tuesday. The agency previously adopted an adult supervision mandate in April 2025, with Portland Parks & Recreation set to implement the policy for open swim sessions starting this summer.
But the health authority has reversed course due to pushback.
“After hearing from parents and caregivers of older elementary and early middle school-age children, the Food, Pool and Lodging Health and Safety Program is proposing additional discussion with the community and regulated partners to gather more input, ensure equitable access to public pools and continue to keep kids safe,” Gabriela Goldfarb, manager of OHA’s Environmental Public Health Section, explained in a statement.
The agency said it worked alongside a Rule Advisory Committee to develop the previous policy that aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Model Aquatic Health Code. The code was established using national CDC data, which found swimming pool deaths are significant through the age of 13 before declining at 14, according to Oregon leaders.
Officials said the data also revealed drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths for those between the ages of 5 and 14.
And while OHA noted committee members unanimously approved the adult supervision mandate, the agency added that “a broad range of more technical issues” like pool equipment and chemistry appeared throughout the rulemaking process.
The health authority is now working to implement a process in which parents, caregivers, pool operators and lifeguards can weigh in on the rule later this fall.
“Given the technical nature of most of the rules, OHA typically gets participation from pool facility operators and builders, and not the community members using the pool,” Goldfarb noted. “Going forward, when CDC updates its model codes, we’ll work to identify proposed changes that need community conversations to find the right path for Oregon.”
Oregon
Oregon Lottery Powerball, Pick 4 results for June 8
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 8 drawing
03-24-34-43-49, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 8 drawing
1PM: 1-1-0-3
4PM: 0-2-8-8
7PM: 4-7-5-1
10PM: 5-6-4-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Win for Life numbers from June 8 drawing
10-22-36-41
Check Win for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks numbers from June 8 drawing
02-23-28-33-36-41
Check Megabucks 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.
Oregon
Oregon Releases Provisional 2027 Health Insurance Prices, And They’re Not Pretty
Oregonians will have fewer options for health insurance plans in 2027, and the plans that remain are seeking to raise prices at a rate with no recent precedent.
That’s according to data released Monday by Oregon regulators, showing that insurers of individual and small group health plans are seeking to raise premiums in the state by a whopping 17% average in 2027.
The requests, which make rate increases of 6% to 10% in recent years pale in comparison, are subject to public input and are not yet finalized. But in recent years, the state has generally ended up letting health insurers raise rates to something close to the increases they sought.
If history repeats, it would mean Oregon households and small businesses that get their insurance through the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace would be on the hook to pay several hundred dollars per year more per person on health insurance, which is already for many a crushing expense.
This is not just an Oregon phenomenon. Health care costs, already a huge chunk of national spending, have been increasing far faster than inflation in recent years, drawing further from the coffers of governments, businesses, and households alike. Experts debate the causes, but generally cite an aging population and rising drug, labor and equipment costs.
Another factor in rising insurance prices may be that some people are not getting plans at all. Oregon regulators say that Congress’s decision to eliminate enhanced subsidies on Affordable Care Act-regulated plans has contributed to an exodus from that market. In Oregon from 2025 to 2026, the number of enrollees in ACA-regulated plans shrunk from 303,000 to 274,000. This in turn, means a worse risk pool for insurers, causing them to raise prices even more for those who remain.
Whatever the cause, a WW review of recent rate hikes shows that Oregon prices industrywide have risen in recent years at an astounding clip. Between 2021 and 2026, the cheapest individual Silver plan in the Portland area jumped from $425 to $518 per month.
If the requested rates are approved, the cheapest such plan, from Kaiser, would in 2027 cost $581 monthly.
The same goes for small group plans. In 2021, the cheapest such Silver-rated plan in the Portland area jumped from $321 to $450 per month.
In 2027, that cheapest such plan could cost $509.
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, which announced the rate increase, described an array of justifications it heard from insurance companies for raising prices. These ranged from “generalized federal policy uncertainties” to tariffs, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, as well as general inflation.
At the same time, the DFR is touting the Oregon Reinsurance Program as a force of market stabilization. Under the program, the state is among those that operate as “essentially insurance for insurance companies,”according to Healthinsurance.org, helping insurers to pay high cost claims. Oregon regulators say rates are 10% lower than they would be if not for the program.
Still, as hospitals and other providers demand more, the health insurance market is evidently getting tougher, and for some companies, the state support and prior rate increases have not been enough. Providence Health Plan, once a stalwart of the Oregon health insurance market, is shutting down nearly entirely at the end of the year. And another local insurer, PacificSource, will stop offering health plans on the individual health insurance market.
“Oregon consumers are facing challenging times with expiring premium tax credits, rising health insurance rates across the country, and two carriers leaving the Oregon market,” said TK Keen, Oregon’s insurance commissioner. “With the losses of Providence and PacificSource in the individual market, there are fewer options, but there are still three options in every Oregon county to choose from.”
Residents of Multnomah County, for their part, will have access to four individual ACA plans in 2027: offered by BridgeSpan, Kaiser, Moda and Regence. Of these, Moda is seeking the largest rate increase—25%.
Meanwhile in the ACA small group market, the company seeking the largest rate increase—28%—is the behemoth UnitedHealthcare. Last year, that company reported a profit of $12.2 billion.
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