Oregon

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

Published

4 months ago

May 14, 2024

Press Room

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

#3 Oregon vs. Idaho FREE STREAM: How to watch today

Published

3 hours ago

August 31, 2024

Press Room

#3 Oregon vs. Idaho FREE STREAM: How to watch today

EUGENE, Oregon — Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten will begin today, as the Ducks play host to Idaho to kick off the 2024 NCAA football season.

New quarterback Dillon Gabriel will look to put the Ducks on the right track to start the year, and they have genuine national title hopes in Eugene. This Aug. 31 game will air on Big Ten Network and is available on multiple streaming services for free.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. (4:30 p.m. Pacific). Fans without cable can catch the game for free on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both offer free trials. Another option is SlingTV, which has promotional offers for new customers.

Oregon enters the new-look Big Ten as one of the favorites to not just win the conference, but win the national title.

Coach Dan Lanning, now in his third year at Oregon, is looking to turn the corner after a 2023 season that was filled with close losses in major games against Washington. If he does that, he’ll have the Ducks competing amongst the best in college football.

Oregon’s start to the season is favorable, as it will play Idaho, Boise State, Oregon State, UCLA and Michigan State before a massive clash with Ohio State on Oct. 12. Should the Ducks take care of what they need to, they’ll enter that game unbeaten.

Here’s more information on how to watch this game on TV and streaming services:

What: Oregon vs. Idaho

When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024

Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. Mountain)

Where: Autzen Stadium | Eugene, Oregon

Channel: Big Ten Network

Best streaming options: FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling TV (half off first month)

Cable Channel Finder: AT&T U-Verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios

Here is more background on Oregon from the Associated Press:

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel likens taking over the offense at No. 3 Oregon to driving a new car.

“I knew what the difficult part of it was going to be, as time is of the essence and learning an offense and having command and control of it. It’s like getting a new car, there’s new buttons and accessories, but you’ve got to go out and race it,” Gabriel said. “And as you find more about it, you can do more fun tricks and kind of show off while doing it.”

There’s a lot of newness around Oregon this season and it starts with the move to the Big Ten. Then there’s Gabriel, a first-team Associated Press All-Big 12 quarterback last season, when he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns for Oklahoma.

He replaces Bo Nix, who threw for a national-best 45 touchdowns last season as the Ducks’ steady leader. Nix was the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos this spring.

With Gabriel, Oregon expects to maintain an offense that averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game — ranked second nationally in both categories — last season. The Ducks finished 12-2, getting close to the playoff before losing to rival Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game. Oregon capped the season by beating Liberty 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Gabriel, in a nod to the Ducks’ past, will wear No. 8, the same number worn at Oregon by Marcus Mariota, who also hailed from Hawaii.

Gabriel is eager to show what he can do at Oregon.

“It’s not managing expectations or letting the hype get around us. Shoot, we have a lot of talented players on this team. That’s why there’s a lot of noise,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, talking does nothing for you and you’re going to have to strap up your chin strap and let it go fly.”

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Oregon

Oregon ranks second-worst for drivers, poll says

Published

13 hours ago

August 31, 2024

Press Room

Oregon ranks second-worst for drivers, poll says

EUGENE, Ore. — It’s official: Oregon drivers are, on average, some of the worst in the nation.

But only the second-worst.

This comes from a poll conducted by Forbes, asking about people’s worst driving habits.

The top three worst driving habits in Oregon are speeding less than ten miles an hour, eating while driving, and speeding to catch a yellow light before it turns red.

Oregon also ranks sixth in the nation for texting while driving, and fifth in the nation for driving under the influence.

The least of the worst driving habits? Passing in a No Passing zone and causing an accident.

The state with the worst drivers is Hawaii, according to the poll.

And the best drivers? Tennessee.

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Oregon

Two former Oregon State Beavers stars re-sign with the Detroit Lions

Published

1 day ago

August 30, 2024

Press Room

Two former Oregon State Beavers stars re-sign with the Detroit Lions

Jermar Jefferson’s solid performances during training camp and preseason earned him a spot on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.

A day after being cut as the Lions’ reduced their roster to 53 players, the Lions signed the former Oregon State Beavers’ star running back to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday. The Lions also signed former Beavers’ defensive tackle Kyle Peko to their practice squad.

Jefferson, who scored two touchdowns during the Lions’ 24-17 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, ran 14 times for 38 yards during the preseason. The Lions’ seventh-round pick (No. 257) in the 2021 NFL draft has also shown vision and explosiveness on the field, but what may have helped him this year was improvement in pass protection.

Jefferson, who hasn’t played in a regular season game since his rookie season, gets another opportunity to receive a promotion to the active roster during the regular season.

Peko, 31, signed a free agent deal with the Lions in May, but didn’t appear in any preseason games. He started in 10 games with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and has appeared in 42 games (12 starts) since he signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

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