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Eastern Oregon community college to end prisoner education program, cut 17 jobs

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Eastern Oregon community college to end prisoner education program, cut 17 jobs


Two years in the past, Blue Mountain Neighborhood School teamed up with different schools throughout the state to persuade the Oregon Division of Corrections to proceed the universities’ grownup schooling and GED applications in state prisons. At a particular assembly final week, the BMCC Board of Schooling voted to finish their applications on the route of the school president.

The transfer resulted in 17 layoffs at a college that’s been battered by staffing reductions lately. And it’s now unclear who will present schooling in an space that homes hundreds of state prisoners.

In a joint assertion from the Corrections Division and the state Greater Schooling Coordinating Fee, the businesses stated they’re trying into methods to proceed providing these applications with out interruption as soon as the contract ends June 30. They didn’t specify who could be taking up these duties.

The most recent spherical of layoffs as soon as once more put BMCC’s college and categorized unions at odds with administration, which is arguing that the corrections GED and grownup teaching programs don’t align with the school’s future.

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“I imagine that we as an business, as greater schooling, have an ethical obligation to supply as many instructional alternatives as attainable for all members of our society, whether or not they’re serving time or not,” BMCC President Mark Browning advised the board. “We shouldn’t have to do all the pieces for everybody, daily, on a regular basis. We merely shouldn’t have that capability.”

Browning advisable the board drop the school’s GED and grownup schooling programming at state prisons in Pendleton, Umatilla and Baker Metropolis in favor of coming into the “for-credit enviornment.” Beneath a newly revived U.S. Division of Schooling program, inmates may take decrease degree faculty programs in topics like studying, historical past and math by acquiring federal Pell grants.

Browning stated he hoped the laid-off workers would come again to BMCC to show for the brand new for-credit program, however the faculty hadn’t utilized for eligibility but and he didn’t know what number of positions it could create.

Browning additionally made a monetary argument. When the Oregon Division of Corrections wished to finish all of its group faculty contracts and take its instructional choices in-house in 2021, the Legislature intervened and made the Greater Schooling Coordinating Fee the intermediary between DOC and the group schools that present courses behind bars.

The Legislature offered further one-time cash to schools as part of the deal, however Browning stated lawmakers don’t have an urge for food to resume the funding. With out an additional income, Browning stated it could price extra to function the applications than the state is paying by way of the contract.

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When the board gave workers an opportunity to talk, all voiced opposition to the cuts.

Dulcie Hays, a veteran teacher at Two Rivers Correctional Establishment in Umatilla, advised the board that workers was “blindsided” by the cuts as a result of, up till the assembly announcement, workers thought the contract was nonetheless being negotiated.

“I believe I converse for lots of us at any time when I say we’re simply devastated that this contract and this program hasn’t meant extra to BMCC,” she stated.

Browning disputed Hays and different workers members’ accounts, saying that faculty administration knowledgeable union leaders a number of days forward of the assembly.

The BMCC board has authorized layoffs and job cuts 4 years in a row. When the school introduced plans to chop 10 positions in 2022, the BMCC college union organized a public rally to persuade the school to reverse course. The school ultimately lowered the variety of cuts from 10 to 5, however the reductions nonetheless moved ahead.

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BMCC has attributed the layoffs to statewide tendencies like an total swoon in group faculty enrollment, and native elements like elevated competitors from different schools in Jap Oregon and southeast Washington. Union leaders have argued that much less workers means much less instructional programming, which can in the end additional harm enrollment.

Workers on the particular assembly advised the board that what college students in prisons really wished to see was a program that built-in each GED programs and faculty courses.

“What number of adults in incarceration proper now have a GED and will apply for this Pell for prisoners grant? Not many,” stated Sascha McKeon, the president of the BMCC college union. “If we let that contract lapse, we might be buying and selling (full-time positions) now for a fraction of that down the street.”

The arguments weren’t sufficient to sway a majority of the board, with just one member voting towards the layoff plan.

The cuts come because the Legislature is taking motion on payments meant to increase group faculty entry in state prisons. The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported that the state Senate handed two payments this month that might enable group schools to supply extra tutorial applications in state prisons and require the jail system to work extra carefully with the Greater Schooling Coordinating Fee on jail schooling coverage. Neither invoice consists of further funding for jail schooling.

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Oregon

Powerball ticket worth $328.5 million sold in Oregon

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Powerball ticket worth 8.5 million sold in Oregon


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The first Powerball jackpot of 2025 was sold in Oregon and is worth $328.5 million, according to lottery officials.

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The winner purchased the winning ticket in Beaverton on Thursday, Jan. 17, the Oregon Lottery said. The retail location will not be revealed until a winner has come forward.

The winning numbers for the Saturday drawing were: 14, 31, 35, 64 and 69 and Powerball 23.

The winner has a year to claim their prize, Oregon Lottery spokesperson Melanie Mesaros said. After the winning ticket is presented, “it will take time before a winner can be identified due to security and payment processes.”

Oregon lottery winners, with few exceptions, cannot remain anonymous, Mesaros said.

The winner will have a choice between an annuitized prize of $328.5 million or a lump-sum payment of $146.4 million, according to lottery officials, which are both options before taxes.

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Last year, the largest Powerball prize won in Oregon — a $1.3 billion jackpot — was split between a Portland man, his wife, and friend.

Before Saturday, the most recent Powerball jackpot was sold in December in New York and was worth $256 million.

Powerball is a multi-state jackpot operated by 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Fernando Cervantes Jr., a news reporter for USA TODAY, contributed to this story.

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Cherrill Crosby is the executive editor of the Statesman Journal and The Register-Guard. Reach her at crosbyc@gannett.com



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Oregon’s Dan Lanning visits 5-star recruit Cantwell, top TE Premer during Midwest run

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Oregon’s Dan Lanning visits 5-star recruit Cantwell, top TE Premer during Midwest run


Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning has been a busy man.

But when you’re the man tasked with running one of the top college football programs in the country, burning jet fuel to shake hands and take photos is a big part of the gig. And Lanning was doing plenty of that last week.

A native of Kansas City, Mo., Lanning returned home last week on a two-day tear recruiting some of the top 2026 prospects in the country.

Lanning’s known stops included Lee’s Summit on Jan. 16, where the Tigers have 2027 interior line prospect Zach Harsha (6-5, 260) and 2028 tight end Max Trillo (6-4, 225).

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He was even busier the following day. He had stops at Raymore-Peculiar, where he visited with and offered four-star uncommitted running back DeZephen Walker (6-0, 205) who is believed to be heavily considering Kansas and Nebraska.

Raymore-Peculiar running back DeZephen Walker

Raymore-Peculiar running back DeZephen Walker. / Photo by David Smith, SBLive

He also headed to Illinois, where he swung by Lincoln-Way East to visit with quarterback Jonas Williams, who agreed with the Ducks on Aug. 3, 2024,

A trip to the Springfield, Mo. area was also on the docket, as Lanning traveled to Nixa High School to again meet with the country’s No. 1 2026 offensive lineman, Jackson Cantwell, on Jan. 16. The 6-8, 315 offensive tackle has offers from just about everyone in the country, though he has spoken highly of Lanning and his relationship with the Ducks coach – making Oregon one of the favorites for his services.

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Cantwell was honored by the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 18 during their AFC Divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans after he was selected to represent the Chiefs at the ‘Nike Ones’ showcase during Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans.

Lanning concluded his trip with a little basketball in Hutchinson, Kan., where he watched Great Bend tight end Ian Premer (6-6, 215) – the top tight end in the 2026 class – take on Hutchinson. Premer, a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball, impressed with 22 points in the game.

The Midwest swing adds to a busy month for Lanning, who also has been spotted with Utah No. 1 athlete Salasi Moa and recently secured a visit with top 2026 quarterback and Nashville native Jared Curtis.

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People with disabilities are extra vulnerable in major disasters like wildfires, says Oregon advocate

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People with disabilities are extra vulnerable in major disasters like wildfires, says Oregon advocate


FILE – Scorched wheelchairs rest outside Cypress Meadows Post-Acute, a nursing home leveled by the Camp Fire on Dec. 4, 2018, in Paradise, Calif. The staff was able to safely evacuate all 91 patients.

Noah Berger / AP

Jake Cornett, Executive Director and CEO of the advocacy group Disability Rights Oregon, says he will forever be haunted by Ashlyn Maddox’s death during the 2021 Oregon heat wave.

The Portland woman, 36, was disabled and living in a group foster home. She was dropped off by a medical transport company, but the company didn’t make sure she made it safely into her air-conditioned home. She ended up wandering around for hours in the heat, and died only 50 feet from safety.

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Cornett says, “These deaths are preventable with the right planning, the right strategy for mitigation, the right preparedness and a response plan that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and respects the needs of people with disabilities.”

Jake Cornett, executive director and CEO of Disability Rights Oregon.

Jake Cornett, executive director and CEO of Disability Rights Oregon.

Courtesy of Ramsey Cox

Cornett spoke with “All Things Considered” host Geoff Norcross about Oregon’s ability to help people with disabilities during a natural disaster, such as the deadly wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.


Geoff Norcross: If we were to transport those fires in Southern California here, would we see a similar catastrophe for people with disabilities?

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Jake Cornett: Surely, we fear that the same disasters we’ve seen play out in the catastrophes in the lives of people with disabilities in LA would play out right here in Oregon as well. And I don’t think this is just a theoretical question. It’s only a matter of time before we have major wildfires along Highway 20, very close by in Portland and in other major cities throughout our state.

Norcross: What is the obligation of local governments to provide for people with disabilities when disaster strikes? I guess I’m asking if the Americans with Disabilities Act applies here.

Cornett: Absolutely. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that cities, counties, the state and the federal government are taking into account what the needs are of people with disabilities, and providing accommodations for those needs when engaging in disaster planning.

Norcross: Getting information out to people quickly in a disaster is so critical, especially for something that’s as fast-moving as the LA wildfires. For people who are deaf or blind, can you talk about how that’s extra complicated?

Cornett: Absolutely. You know, emergency response notification systems that happen on your phone are a great tool if you have a phone, or if you have the technology to make your phone provide you the information you need. And that’s particularly important for folks who are blind.

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I think about a blind person who may not have the same visual access to information as others. If police run around your neighborhood and put a notice on your door that says “get out of town, there’s an evacuation order, you’re under wildfire threat,” that notice on your door might not be enough because you can’t access that information.

And this is where cities, counties and the state really have an obligation to adjust to how they communicate so that it’s effective for all people with disabilities.

Norcross: And again, when you say obligation, you mean a legal obligation, not just because it’s the right thing to do.

Cornett: Absolutely. There’s a legal obligation to do that under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Norcross: Even if an evacuation order gets to affected people quickly, there’s this expectation that most people will get in their car and they will leave. How does that expectation leave people with disabilities in even greater danger?

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Cornett: Yeah, that’s another huge issue for people with disabilities, especially when it happens quickly like the LA fires. People think evacuating is getting in the car, driving quickly away to safety.

But many people with disabilities don’t have access to a car, or they can’t physically drive a vehicle. They’re totally reliant on others to transport them to safety. So just providing that notice is not an adequate way to ensure that we are saving the lives of people with disabilities in the way it needs to be done.

Norcross: Is there an event here in Oregon that you can point to that shows us how situated we are to help people with disabilities when disaster strikes, good or bad?

Cornett: Here in Oregon, we’ve seen hundreds die or have serious injuries because of heat in the past few years. Climate change is real. We live in a warming environment, and it’s having a really disproportionate impact on seniors, on people with disabilities and people with underlying medical conditions.

And I’ll forever be haunted by a story of a 30-something year old woman who was dropped off by a medical transport company, but didn’t wait in their air-conditioned van to make sure that she got inside her home where there was air conditioning. Instead, they took off. She wandered around for hours before dying of heat, just 50 feet from her adult foster home.

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These deaths are preventable with the right planning, the right strategy for mitigation, the right preparedness, and a response plan that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and respects the needs of people with disabilities.



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