Oregon

Eugene, Lane County winter weather to continue with cold ahead of more freezing rain

Published

2 years ago

January 15, 2024

Eugene, Lane County winter weather to continue with cold ahead of more freezing rain

Staff
| Eugene Register-Guard

As Eugene and the rest of Willamette Valley attempt to dig out from a long weekend of snow and ice and frigid temperatures, weather forecasts were predicting a much-needed dose of clear sky for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On the other hand, temperatures were expected to barely reach above freezing and residents were already bracing themselves for what could be another round of freezing rain on the horizon.

With the rough weather still taking its toll on the region, here are the latest updates from Eugene and the surrounding region:

The weather is expected to be cold and dry through early Tuesday when a low-pressure system from the southwest is forecast to bring freezing rain into Wednesday.

High temperatures are anticipated to return to the upper 40s or low 50s on Wednesday, with rain in the Willamette Valley and snow in the Cascades, for the rest of the week.

A total of 0.2 to 0.3 inches of ice is forecast Tuesday in the central and southern Willamette Valley. The ice is expected to begin in the morning and last into the evening. It’s less than Saturday’s ice totals that reached a half-inch in some places, but enough to have widespread impact.

“We’ll definitely have some possibility of power outages, tree damage and slippery roads,” said Jacob Hall with the National Weather Service in Portland. “The good news is that we’re not forecasting strong winds.”

Late Sunday, tens of thousands of Oregonians in the northwestern part of the state were without power and a multitude of highways and roads were closed, due to fallen trees and power lines.

Wind and snow and ice downed trees and power lines across northwestern Oregon over the weekend, knocking out power and prompting the closure of numerous roads.

Portland General Electric said tree limbs and debris brought down more than 816 of its distribution power lines and damaged multiple transmission lines.

“Given the extent of the damage and the high level of outage events, restoration efforts will continue into the week and customers are encouraged to plan accordingly,” PGE said in a statement.

Lane Transit District: Bus services are suspended until further notice.
Lane Community College: Closed until further notice. The men’s and women’s basketball games against Chemeketa Community College have been postponed.
City of Eugene Parks: Immediate closure, caution advised near trees.
Eugene Airport: Numerous flight cancellations and delays.
University of Oregon Campus: Closing at 8 p.m. Saturday, reopening at 10 a.m. Monday. The Women’s Basketball game will be played but will be closed to the public.
Willamalane Parks: Closed until further notice.
PeaceHealth: All specialty clinics, walk-in clinics, and urgent care will be closed tomorrow. Most elective surgeries will be rescheduled. Other hospital operations will continue.
Cascade Health: closed today and tomorrow except for the Pete Moore Hospice House.
Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Ctr.: Closed Monday.
Slocum Orthopedics: Closed today and tomorrow.
MLK Jr. Marches: Both the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march planned in Eugene and the one planned in Springfield are canceled.
Deerhorn Road: Closed west of Booth Kelly Road due to falling trees and downed power lines.
McKenzie View Drive: Closed due to falling trees.
OR-126: Closed from Poodle Creek Road, Cheshire to Indian Creek Road, Swisshome due to hazardous trees or vegetation.
OR-36: Closed from Poodle Creek Road, Cheshire to Indian Creek Road, Swisshome due to hazardous trees or vegetation.
OR-99: Closed from E Saginaw Road to Lynx Hollow Road due to hazardous trees or vegetation.
Marcola Road: closed from Bowman Road to County Line Road due to fallen trees.
Territorial Highway: closed south of milepost 42 due to fallen trees.
While not closed, state officials have warned of multiple crashes due to icy conditions on I-5 from miles 167-172 (Cottage Grove area)

The Egan Warming Centers will be open tonight and tomorrow night and they will remain open until 11 a.m. tomorrow morning instead of the usual 8 a.m. All sites are accessible to people with disabilities and to pets.

Egan Warming Center locations are:

Springfield Memorial Building
- 765 A St, Springfield
- Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Transportation Hub at First Christian Church
- 1166 Oak Street, Eugene
- Shuttles will run from 6 p.m. to midnight
Trinity United Methodist Church
- 440 Maxwell Road, Eugene
- Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
South Hills at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection
- 3925 Hilyard St, Eugene
- Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Wheeler Pavilion at Lane Events Center
- 796 W 13^th Ave, Eugene
- Doors open at 10 p.m., a late opening

The Egan program is also seeking donations of gloves and blankets. It is looking for about 200 blankets and as many gloves as people can donate. People willing to travel are asked to bring donations to 888 Garfield Street in Eugene.

Watch the ice storm arrive in Eugene

A time-lapse of from Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 afternoon until Saturday morning as a layer of snow and ice coat Eugene’s College Hill Neighborhood.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Coordination Center for state agencies and nonprofit partners to share life safety resources, including activating 211 to support warming shelters in several counties.

“If you or someone you know needs a place to stay warm, call 211 or visit 211info.org to find open warming centers in your area; 211 also offer and coordinate transport services to and from warming centers,” the agency said.

Emergency Management encouraged people to stay home, stay informed, have an emergency plan and stock an emergency kit.

Oregonians can sign up for local emergency alerts at oralert.gov If you have moved, you should update your information.

The agency said a basic emergency supply kit in case the power goes out includes the following items:

Enough water for one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation.
Several days’ supply of non-perishable, easy-to-eat food such as peanut butter, protein and granola bars, jerky, nuts, fruit, pretzels, crackers, beans and rice.
A manual can opener.
A battery-powered or hand crank radio or a weather radio.
A flashlight with extra batteries.
A first-aid kit.
Sleeping bags or warm blankets.

NW Natural on Saturday evening asked customers to conserve gas during the storm “by lowering thermostats as much as you can comfortably and safely manage,” minimizing hot water usage and turning off non-essential appliances, to help prevent strain on utility systems.

“We are seeing increased usage by utility customers across our region due to frigid temperatures, which are expected to continue into next week,” NW Natural said in the notice to customers.

Modest efforts to conserve gas “can make a big impact in helping the entire energy system navigate this extreme weather event,” said Kim Rush, NW Natural’s chief operations officer.

Rush said the company’s gas system is operating safely at full capacity and field teams ready to respond to customer needs.

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Oregon

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Published

10 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Oregon lawmakers advance one-year moratorium on tax breaks for data centers

Written by Alma McCarty & KGW:

SALEM, Oregon — In the final week of Oregon’s legislative short session, lawmakers in Salem discussed regulating data centers — specifically, placing a one-year moratorium on certain tax breaks.

Governor Tina Kotek has been looking to expand the state’s enterprise zone program, which is intended to grow Oregon companies and attract new ones. Businesses that locate or expand within designated zones can qualify for property tax exemptions on new investments if they meet eligibility requirements.

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

“Data centers have been around for a while,” said Kelly Campbell, policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper. “Data centers are getting bigger and bigger. Some of these new AI hyperscale data centers are exponentially bigger than those tiny ones. They’re really just using a lot of energy, a lot of water.”

However, some advocates argue that extending incentives to data centers may not be sustainable long term.

Last week, Columbia Riverkeeper released a report examining data centers operating or planned along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

“I think the question becomes, do we want to stick to our climate goals of getting to 100% renewable? Or do we want to have these big, mega data centers owned by big tech companies — some of the wealthiest corporations in the world — getting to use whatever energy they want? We would say, no, that’s not OK,” Campbell said.

On Monday, lawmakers amended an economic incentives bill to block new data centers from qualifying for certain tax breaks for one year.

“I think this moratorium is a pretty short pause to give the advisory council time and space to do their work,” said Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, during a subcommittee meeting Monday morning.

The Data Center Advisory Committee, convened by Kotek, held its first meeting Friday. The group’s goal is to develop policy recommendations addressing the rapid growth of data centers.

“There are some businesses that will need them, but freestanding data centers, the way we’ve been growing in the state, is not sustainable,” the Governor told reporters during a press conference last week.

On Monday, her office sent KGW a statement regarding the moratorium:

“The moratorium will address immediate concerns and also allow for the Governor’s Data Center Advisory Committee to develop recommendations to strategically pursue economic development opportunities while ensuring utility costs, infrastructure investments, and environmental impacts remain sustainable and equitable for all residents.”

Supporters of data center growth, particularly in rural communities, also spoke during work sessions.

“This moratorium will have a disparate impact on communities east of the Cascades — communities like Prineville, Hermiston and Redmond that have leveraged enterprise zones and data centers to bring hundreds of living-wage jobs to their communities,” said Alexandra Ring, a lobbyist for the League of Oregon Cities.

“While data centers may be seen as a nuisance or inconvenient in Washington County, they are not in Crook County. They are not in Morrow County, in Umatilla County,” said Sen. Mark McLane, who represents several Eastern Oregon counties, including Baker, Crook, Grant and Harney.

Even if the House and Senate ultimately approve the moratorium, it would apply only to new data centers — not those that already receive tax breaks or projects currently underway.

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Oregon

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Iranian in Oregon says he was a political prisoner in his home country

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A member of Oregon’s Iranian community on Monday reacted to American and Israeli strikes in his home country and the death of Iran’s supreme leader over the weekend.

That reaction came as the conflict in the Middle East expanded into a third day. President Donald Trump indicated it could go on for several weeks.

Amin Yousefimalakabad says right now he is concerned about his family, who he says lives near military bases in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

He described businesses with shattered windows and explosions near his family’s home.

At the same time, Yousefimalakabad says he felt relief learning about the killing of the ayatollah.

He says he fled Iran four years ago after facing political persecution.

“I used to be a political prisoner in Iran. I got arrested in one of the protests that happened in Iran, and I was under torture for two weeks,” he said in an interview with KATU News. “They put me in prison for six months. I had, even when I was thinking about those days, it made my body shake from inside because I didn’t deserve that. I just wanted the first things that I can have in a foreign country like America in my country. I wanted freedom. I wanted to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, to choose who I want to be.”

Meanwhile, Yousefimalakabad says he still can’t return to Iran, fearing he would be punished for his Christian beliefs and says although the regime could change, the ideology in Iran might not.

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Oregon

How Wisconsin Badgers logistically pulled off extended West Coast trip

Published

2 days ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How Wisconsin Badgers logistically pulled off extended West Coast trip

Wisconsin has taken time zone changes into account when planning West Coast trips like the recent one to Oregon and Washington.
Oregon and Washington were ‘super hospitable’ to the Badgers when they were traveling from Feb. 23-28.
Wisconsin’s Lindsay Lovelace and Eli Wilke have done a “really good job” in their operations roles.

SEATTLE – Wisconsin men’s basketball’s day that ended with a resounding 90-73 win over Washington did not exactly have a resounding start.

After loading the bus at the team’s downtown Seattle hotel before the Feb. 28 game roughly four miles away at Alaska Airlines Arena, there was a slight issue.

The bus broke down.

But the Badgers had another bus and were only delayed “maybe 10, 15 minutes at the most.”

“All the managers and everybody moved all the bags onto the other bus,” said Lindsay Lovelace, Wisconsin’s assistant director of basketball operations. “So thankfully we had that second bus, and then the bus company did a really good job of getting us another one really fast.”

Wisconsin’s quick pivot was part of the extensive efforts that have gone into an extended road trip like what the Badgers recently concluded against Oregon and Washington.

“Knowing where we’re going, we reserve flights in July and August,” Lovelace said. “Once we finalize game times and stuff, then we can finalize our flight times and everything. And then I started booking hotels for every trip in September-ish, I would say – September, early in October.

“It kind of starts with those big pieces, and then about a month, month-and-a-half out, we start doing meals and scheduling with itineraries.”

The pair of West Coast games made for a six-day, five-night trip as the Badgers played at Oregon on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and at Washington on Saturday, Feb. 28. It was just UW’s second time this season staying on the road between road games, albeit not nearly as long as the 11-night stay in Salt Lake City and San Diego in the nonconference schedule.

“It seems like it’s a big trip, but it’s essentially just two trips, two days each basically,” said Eli Wilke, who is in his first season as Wisconsin’s operations coordinator after previously working as a graduate manager.

As UW did for the Salt Lake City/San Diego trip earlier in the season and the Los Angeles trip last season, the Badgers arrived two days before the first game instead of the typical one day for shorter road trips on the Big Ten schedule.

“We all decided that it’s just the best to get out there one night earlier, try and get their sleep adjusted as best as possible and then give them a day to sleep in and get up and then practice,” Lovelace said.

Lovelace, who has been in her role since 2021, had the benefit of leaning on last season’s Los Angeles trip and past postseason trips. But the Oregon-Washington trip marked the Badgers’ first road game at Washington since 1955, and it was the Badgers’ first regular-season road game at Oregon since 1990.

The Badgers did have a blueprint for traveling to Eugene following their 2023 NIT game against the Ducks. This trip naturally allowed for much more planning time, too, than a postseason game.

“I said to [UW general manager] Marc [VandeWettering], ‘I remember liking the hotel that we stayed at for the NIT,’” Lovelace said. “And he agreed. The food was good, and the setup they had was really good. It was pretty close to the arena.”

Lovelace also turned to her counterparts who work with Wisconsin football and volleyball, which have similarly been adjusting to the new Big Ten cities. UW volleyball made its first trip to Seattle during the 2025 season, and both UW football and volleyball played in Eugene.

“I talked to John [Richter, UW’s director of football operations] a little bit, but a lot with Jess Williams from volleyball,” Lovelace said. “And she kind of gave me some pointers on traffic and making sure you plan ahead for Seattle because traffic can be really busy at times.”

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball operations staff got a helping hand, too, from Oregon and Washington’s operations personnel.

“Especially with these West Coast trips, these teams are used to it now with these teams doubling up,” Wilke said. “Because they’re all super hospitable and trying to help us out.”

That hospitality includes everything from laundry service to logistical information such as parking and practice options.

Wisconsin secured two practice times in the two days leading up to the Wisconsin-Washington game at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Badgers practiced at Matthew Knight Arena in Oregon the day before and had a shootaround the day of the very late game.

The Badgers were at the mercy of whenever Alaska Airlines Arena was available, though, which turned out to be on a Thursday evening and Friday evening before a Saturday early-afternoon game.

“We know that we really have to be flexible on what they give us,” Lovelace said. “I think everybody wanted to practice at Alaska Airlines Arena. … If we wanted to have an earlier practice, we could have looked elsewhere for gym time, too.”

Washington provided laundry service for Wisconsin on the Badgers’ first night in Seattle. The courtesy is not something to be taken for granted either after what nearly happened when the Badgers traveled to San Diego.

“I was looking at all the laundromats,” Wilke said, following the suggestion of the tournament organizers.

That’s when Nick Boyd – UW’s team leader in points and assists – delivered a big off-the-court assist after playing with his connections at San Diego State, where he played in 2024-25 before transferring to the Badgers.

“Nick connected with one of his old managers, who connected with the current manager at San Diego State and helped connect us with their equipment person who was willing to help us out,” Wilke said. “We got lucky with Nick there.”

The extended trips often come with a larger travel party and the added responsibility of managing logistics for non-basketball excursions. The activities help “keep guys fresh and keep loose,” Wilke said.

The San Diego trip earlier in the season involved a visit at the zoo. The year before, Wisconsin went to an NBA game while in Los Angeles for the USC and UCLA games. This time, UW toured a joint military base in the Seattle-Tacoma region on Feb. 27.

This is Lovelace and Wilke’s first season spearheading Wisconsin’s men’s basketball operations together. VandeWettering was the team’s director of basketball operations for eight seasons before being promoted to a new general manager role in the summer.

UW then promoted Wilke to operations coordinator, all while he continues to finish his master’s degree in sports leadership. He has yet to miss an assignment although he does “cut it very close.” When Wisconsin played Iowa on Feb. 22, he had an assignment due that day.

“I was writing my paper as our guys were doing pregame warmup shots,” Wilke said. “One of the event staff was just laughing behind me because they saw me. I’m just typing away.”

Coordinating operations specifically at a place like Wisconsin “makes my life easier,” Wilke said.

“I don’t really have to worry about guys forgetting things because they’re pretty on top of it,” Wilke said. “I think that’s kind of how the culture of the program’s been over the last few years.”

Even when life is not so easy – an already-loaded bus uncharacteristically breaking down might be one of the top examples – UW’s operations duo has earned rave reviews.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, and there’s going to be hiccups,” VandeWettering said. “And I think you just got to understand that there are going to be things beyond your control, and you just got to be able to roll with it. I think they’ve both done a really good job of continuing to do that to the best of their ability.”

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