Oregon

Lawmakers, again, consider allowing self-pumping gas stations statewide – Oregon Capital Chronicle

Published

2 years ago

February 21, 2023

Lawmakers, again, consider allowing self-pumping gas stations statewide – Oregon Capital Chronicle

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is as soon as once more making an attempt to present Oregonians the facility to pump their very own gasoline.

Home Invoice 2426 would permit for self-service fuel pumps. However it will require fuel stations in some counties to maintain attendants for drivers who may need assistance filling up — and to guard these jobs.

The invoice would require fuel stations to maintain a minimum of half of their pumps full-service in 16 counties which are largely in western Oregon. Stations may very well be completely self-service in jap Oregon or on many of the coast.

Self-service fuel has lengthy been a white whale for Oregon drivers pissed off with lengthy waits on the pump and, currently, understaffed fuel stations. Oregon regulation has required attendants to pump fuel since 1951 partly to offer jobs and stop spills.

Lawmakers carved out an exception for counties with lower than 40,000 residents in 2018, making the state a complicated patchwork of various guidelines, the invoice’s sponsors say.

A related invoice died in final 12 months’s quick legislative session due to a last-minute shakeup, Willamette Week reported.

4 lawmakers are pushing the invoice this 12 months: Republican Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis of Albany, Home Majority Chief Julie Fahey of Eugene, Republican Sen. Daniel Bonham of The Dalles and Democratic Sen. Janeen Sollman of Hillsboro.

The chief sponsors met for the invoice’s first listening to Tuesday afternoon within the Home Committee on Emergency Administration, Common Authorities and Veterans.

Boshart Davis emphasised the invoice would give drivers the selection to pump their very own fuel and pace up queues. She mentioned fuel stations are affected by a labor scarcity spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic that’s made it unattainable for employers to rent attendants.

That’s the case for Louis Hernandez, who owns 4 fuel stations within the Portland space.

He testified that he’s raised wages to $18 an hour however nonetheless can’t discover sufficient workers to pump fuel. When Hernandez can’t workers the pumps, he closes for the day, he mentioned. He typically pays homeless individuals within the neighborhood for assist.

“It’s grow to be a really difficult time for us all,” mentioned Hernandez.

Haseeb Shoja, who owns fuel stations in central Oregon, mentioned the attendants he can rent wrestle to face for lengthy hours in excessive warmth and firesmoke.

In July, former Gov. Kate Brown quickly allowed self-service pumping to guard employees throughout a blistering heatwave.

The Workplace of the State Fireplace Marshal enforces Oregon’s regulation on the pump. Throughout the listening to, Chief Deputy Travis Medina mentioned the workplace acquired no security complaints when the principles had been relaxed.

The Northwest Grocery Affiliation helps the invoice as does Oregonians for Alternative on the Pump, an advocacy group. Each are represented by lobbyist Shawn Miller.

Not everybody on the Home committee appeared satisfied the invoice ought to cross.

Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, mentioned attendants may not be out there at required stations if the invoice turns into regulation, leaving drivers with no choices.

“It looks as if you’re making an attempt to promote it as selection when, in truth, it gained’t be selection,” he mentioned.

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Oregon

Will No. 13 Oregon men’s basketball be able to slow down Braden Smith, No. 17 Purdue?

Published

5 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Will No. 13 Oregon men’s basketball be able to slow down Braden Smith, No. 17 Purdue?

EUGENE — By far Oregon’s biggest remaining home game this season, a top 20 clash with two-time reigning Big Ten champion Purdue carries significant stakes.

The No. 13 Ducks (15-2, 4-2 Big Ten) are ahead of the No. 17 Boilermakers in the polls, but behind them in the conference standings and NET entering Saturday’s game (12 p.m., NBC) at Matthew Knight Arena.

Both teams could use the Quadrant 1 win to improve their respective resumes come Selection Sunday, with Purdue (14-4, 6-1) arguably in bigger need of the road victory with all of its losses coming away from home. But as jockeying at the top of the Big Ten intensifies these are the matchups that will go a long way to determining the top four seeds in the conference tournament, which all receive double byes.

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Oregon

Second man dies after being washed out to sea by king tides on Oregon Coast

Published

13 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Second man dies after being washed out to sea by king tides on Oregon Coast

A Happy Valley man died Wednesday after being washed out to sea by abnormally high tides just south of Depoe Bay.

It’s the second fatal incident blamed on the so-called “king tides” — the largest tides of the season — this winter.

Hong B Su, 45, was fishing on the rocks of the shoreline at the north end of Otter Crest Loop when he was “washed out to sea by a wave” at roughly 2:04 p.m., according to Oregon State Police.

Su was in the water for approximately 39 minutes before he was recovered by the United States Coast Guard. He was pronounced deceased when he reached the Depoe Bay Coast Guard station.

The tides were near their highest level of the month on Wednesday. The peak of the king tides was recorded on Jan. 12 at 9.84 feet in Newport, and on the day Su was swept into the sea, Jan. 15, they were just a bit lower at 9.33 feet, according to the National Weather Service. On Friday, high tide was under 8 feet. King tides is an unofficial term for the highest tides of the year.

In December, a 72-year-old North Bend man who went to photograph the king tides at the beach also died after apparently being swept into the surf. His body was recovered nearly a month later in Haynes Inlet.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors.

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Oregon

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

Published

21 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

Putting the ball in the basket didn’t seem to be a problem for Gonzaga during Thursday night’s battle with Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon.

The issue for the Bulldogs (14-5, 5-1 WCC), however, was on the other end of the floor. Led by 29 points from Michael Rataj and 20 from Nate Kingz, the Beavers (14-4, 4-2 WCC) made 58.5% of their field goal attempts to outlast the Zags in a 97-89 overtime final from Gill Coliseum.

“[Oregon State] made shots and [isolated] guys and posted us,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of the Beavers’ attack strategy after the game. “And when we did guard them well, they hit some tough shots [and] some tough pull-ups.”

Here’s more from Few after the loss.

On Gonzaga’s struggles defensively against Oregon State:

Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7) shoots the ball against defensive pressure by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (99). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“We played really, really good offense. We just could not get consistent stops for longer stretches. Came out in the second half with more intensity on the defensive end. [The Beavers] were still able to get some tough shots. I mean they had some real backbreakers, the bank 3 and contested 3. Even when we did play good defense, they were able to knock in some really tough shots. You almost have to play perfect on offense when you’re playing defense like that.”

On Graham Ike’s big night:

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) shoots the ball over Oregon State Beavers forward Michael Rataj (12). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“He was great. Graham was terrific. He delivered time and time again in a high-level game against a very good, physical, big postman. You know, you also got a guard at the other end too. So again, our offense wasn’t the problem — our defense was at pretty much all five spots.”

On the positives the Bulldogs can take from the loss:

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) shoots a three point shot against Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“We competed, great environment, fought, dug our way back in after our slow start; played some good ball there in the middle of the second half. We just had a couple of possessions, I think we missed a lay-up on one of those; and then again, just not even some of the stops, we foul a lot off the ball. We fouled on the ball. They were able to get critical free throws when they were in the bonus, and you just can’t do that.”