Oregon
Callers responding to a false election claim overwhelm Oregon officials
Oregon election officials were screening phone and email messages Friday after their system was overwhelmed and shut down because of a barrage of calls from people responding to a false claim that the state’s voter pamphlet doesn’t include Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The pamphlet does list Trump as a candidate, and Trump will be on the ballot in Oregon. What the pamphlet doesn’t include is a statement about why people should vote for him. That’s because the president didn’t submit one, the Oregon GOP said in a statement.
The false claim has continued to spread on social media, however, and on Thursday, the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division said it shut down the phone lines after being overwhelmed by out-of-town callers. They made adjustments Friday to deal with the ongoing deluge.
“Our phones are back up, but in this case, it would be more accurate to say that we will be screening voicemails,” spokesperson Laura Kerns told The Associated Press. “Oregonians who call with specific, answerable questions about the election will be prioritized for a return call.”
The department’s email system was also overwhelmed by people commenting on the false claim, prompting officials to prioritize responses to Oregonians with “answerable questions,” Kerns said. She added that the office plans to fully reopen by Monday.
People on social media continued to spread the false claim on Friday. One person on X asked Elon Musk to spread the word that the Oregon Secretary of State removed Trump from the pamphlet, while another posted the agency’s phone number alongside the message CALL NOW.
“Oregonians who need assistance will now have to wait because some individuals operating in bad faith are misleading people online,” Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said in a news release. “Spreading rumors and false claims of election interference does nothing to help Oregonians.”
Oregon lawmakers have a new roadmap for tackling racism as a public health issue, and it’s packed with more than 100 recommendations for the 2027 legislative session.
According to KGW8, the Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office released the four-year report this week, built on input from more than 200 Oregonians of color and developed alongside the Oregon Health Authority. It digs into how Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color face unequal access to stable jobs, education, health care, and housing — the everyday conditions that shape locals’ lives.
“This is an opportunity for state government to earn trust with communities of color who have been historically excluded,” said executive director of the Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office, Jeff Selby, per the outlet. “The report process is a model for community engagement, as we all work together toward meaningful outcomes in community.”
State Rep. Travis Nelson said the findings have already shaped legislation, with several bills signed into law over the past two sessions covering topics like culturally specific health services and school staffing diversity. One concrete example: After residents flagged that Spanish-speaking applicants were passing the DMV’s written driving test at a rate of roughly 21%, versus 51% for English speakers, organizers connected the DMV with community groups to address the gap.
The report dates back to 2021, when Oregon lawmakers formally declared racism a public health crisis. “Racism in Oregon has left a legacy of trauma from one generation to the next, impacting Oregon tribes, Black and indigenous communities and people of color through a cumulative effect,” a section of the declaration reads.
A separate report from the Commonwealth Fund found Oregon has more severe racial and ethnic health disparities than its neighbors in the West, with Native American, Black, and Hispanic residents lagging behind white and Asian American residents on access, quality, and outcomes. Researchers warned that federal changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act since 2025 could make those gaps worse, not better.
The Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office says the goal now is turning research into real policy before lawmakers reconvene — and building trust with communities that have historically been left out of the process.
The full report can be seen here.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A former Oregon corrections officer received a lifetime hunting ban on Wednesday after pleading guilty to several poaching-related charges.
Christopher Mason, 49, of Umatilla, was sentenced in two separate court cases to 24 months of probation and 300 hours of community service. He was also fined over $114,000 and was required to forfeit his firearms.
Oregon State Police said they began investigating Mason in 2024 after receiving information that he had been poaching big game animals.
“In February 2025, OSP served a search warrant, and multiple big game animals and firearms were seized as evidence. Sixty-seven criminal charges were referred for prosecution,” officials said. “The charges spanned multiple counties.”
Mason pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful take of buck deer and three counts of unlawful take of black bear on June 18. In a separate case on June 26, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, unlawful possession of a silencer, unlawful possession of multiple wildlife and unlawful take of mule deer.
“This is another example of serial poaching which rises to the level of felony conduct based solely on the repeated poaching conduct and impact of one individual on Oregon’s game mammals,” prosecutor Jay Hall said. “The conduct across the several counties amounts to one of the highest damage amounts done to Oregon wildlife by any singular actor.”
SEATTLE — With national firefighting resources already stretched to their limits, statewide fire restrictions remain in effect for all Bureau of Land Management public lands throughout Washington and Oregon, with some local regions also implementing additional emergency closures.
As the Independence Day holiday weekend approaches, officials warned that people responsible for starting wildfires could face up to $100,000 in fines, 12 months in prison, and liability for all firefighting suppression costs.
SEE ALSO | Washington braces for earlier wildfire season due to low snowpack: ‘Worse than normal’
“There are serious consequences for starting a wildfire, including fines and possibly imprisonment, which we hope everyone can avoid through careful choices,” said Josh O’Connor, Northwest Geographic Area Fire Chief for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. “We have already experienced excruciating loss this season. I cannot stress the gravity of the situation enough. Please help protect our firefighters and communities.”
Officials urged visitors to research their destinations in advance, noting that local restrictions can determine when power tools may be used, what kinds of stoves or campfires are allowed, and what safety equipment is required.
The BLM said the following items remain strictly prohibited on all BLM lands in Oregon and Washington: fireworks and sky lanterns; exploding or metallic targets; tracer or incendiary devices; and steel component ammunition, including core or jacket.
“Lighting a firework or leaving a smoldering campfire creates significant wildland fire risk. Under the right conditions, they easily start wildfires,” said Kim Prill, BLM Oregon/Washington acting state director. “Don’t risk it. Let’s work together to prevent every wildfire possible.”
More information on seasonal fire restrictions and fire closures is available HERE.
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