Oregon
Oregon Ducks Matthew Bedford Injury: Who Will Start At Right Guard?
![Oregon Ducks Matthew Bedford Injury: Who Will Start At Right Guard? Oregon Ducks Matthew Bedford Injury: Who Will Start At Right Guard?](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2947,h_1657,x_0,y_648/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/ducks_digest/01j5s8vr3rcrzzkg5n35.jpg)
For many athletes, their sports career can take them great lengths. Senior offensive lineman Nishad Strother isn’t a stranger to a journey, whether he’s transferring to the University of Oregon from East Carolina University going into his junior year, or battling an acromioclavicular injury to the shoulder that kept him out from all but five of Oregon’s games during the 2023 season.
Now the lineman, who primarily takes reps at left and right guard, is ready to make the next jump in his journey: starting for Oregon this season.
Nishad’s versatility will be needed as projected right guard Duck starter Matthew Bedford, will be out for a projected significant amount of time this season with a knee injury.
“You hate to see a guy get hurt, especially Matt. He’s been a good guy for our room and all that. Hate to see him go down. It’s next man up mentality, always. So, I hope he comes back soon enough. But you know, next man up for now,” Strother said.
Getting back to the field after such a painful injury can be quite the challenge, as Strother elaborated. He assures that he’s back to one hundred percent as he’s vying for a top roster spot.
“Yeah, I was in a pretty tough spot last year, you know, dealing with the shoulder injury, you know, and kind of regressing a little bit from all the progress that I had made,” Strother said. “I was in a tough spot mentally, honestly, but you know, I had some good guys around me, and, you know, I’m happy to be back and healthy this year. So we’ll see what happens.”
“I do. I feel back to normal,” Strother said. “The rehab was a long process in the beginning. The AC was something I had never dealt with before. Kind of different, you know, grade three, so it was pretty significant. So dealing with that firstly, or like when it first happened, was kind of difficult, but it’s back to normal now for the most part.”
Being out for a long time can especially be taxing for a line position, as keeping a lineman physique can arguably be even more time-consuming and strategic than skill positions. Maintaining that balance of mass and muscle with explosive agility for release from a three point can be almost impossible with an injury. Building back that physicality and preparing to move big bodies can be a daunting task, as Strother explained.
“Honestly, it took me a while to, you know, throw a punch again, because you don’t want to re aggravate it, you know. But you know, you have to put yourself back, back out there at some point. So, you know, just kind of throw yourself back into the fire and help everything. You trust your rehab, trust your trainers, and everything will be alright,” Strother said.
Strother’s transition back to the trenches truly came to fruition during spring training. During his five game appearances last season, Strother saw 55 snaps with 22 coming from Oregon’s contest versus the Arizona State Sun Devils.
“A little bit during spring ball, you know, I was out there throwing my hands around a little bit. Felt like I was getting back to my old self so it was good to feel,” Strother said.
Strother could be a real asset to the big bodies up front. As an all-season starter for ECU, Strother earned a 72.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and helped clear gaps for the starting quarterback to throw over 3,000 passing yards.
Strother said he’s comfortable with either side of the interior line. A lot of that trust lies within the choice for center, the heartbeat of any trench. To Strother, the versatility in mastering multiple positions in the trenches Duck offensive lineman are known for still stands.
“Charlie Pickard, Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu, Kanen Rossi even. Yeah, I’m comfortable with all those guys [who] are really smart. Know the playbook in and out. So I think we’re solid at center as well,” Strother said.
One of the most tenured groups as far as returning Ducks, the offensive line is set to be fairly strong this year. The biggest departure from last seasons’ 2023 class was center Jackson Powers-Johnson who was drafted second round to the Las Vegas Raiders. According to Strother, that leadership hole has been filled by walk-on Charlie Pickard. The former Sheldon High School lineman walked on to Oregon after being inspired by former Ducks’ center Ryan Walk, who is now an assistant coach with the Ducks.
“I think Charlie’s the leader of our room, honestly,” Strother said. “He’s been here for a long time. He runs a lot of our player-led stuff. I love Charlie to death. I think he’s really the backbone of our room. So Charlie is that guy for me, for sure. He’s a walk on, you know? So, I mean, he deserves everything he’s getting now. the recognition, you know, the rotations, Charlie, deserves it all.”
Focusing more on Oregon’s fall camp, linemen are typically off doing their own thing when it comes to drills. Strother added that the level of talent on the defensive line has added to his own preparation for the season.
“I love going against them. They’re going to make us great,” Strother said. “Yeah, it’s really battles every day, you know, little smack talking here and there. But those are really good players that I think they’re going to be great for us.”
And the addition of two fields for practice, creating two spots, has made far more athletes get much needed reps. Strother claims the line is no exception.
“We got two spot in practice. I think it helps with the conditioning. You know, two groups on each field. So, you know, a lot of the young guys get reps, the older guys get reps. You know, everybody watches each other, you know, conditioning, development, mentally, all that. I think it helps a lot,” Strother said.
Strother said that even the young blood is impressing him in the trenches. But right now, all this group is thinking about is the amount of pancakes they can put up during their introductory season to the Big Ten Conference.
“We’re chomping at the bit,” Strother said. “But, you know, just a few more days, you know, I think it’s 10 now, but yeah, we’ll be out there soon.”
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Oregon
US/Oregon: Wildfires Threaten Pregnancies
![US/Oregon: Wildfires Threaten Pregnancies US/Oregon: Wildfires Threaten Pregnancies](https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/styles/opengraph/public/media_2024/08/202408us_oregon_wildfires_helicopter.jpg?h=191e3811&itok=-CyXmEz0)
- Air pollution and stress from wildfires is on the rise with specific harms for maternal health, but experiences from Oregon indicate that public health officials are not doing enough to reach pregnant people with vital health hazard information.
- It’s crucial for state and federal governments to address the environmental harms to pregnancy that intersect with racism and unfairness in income, quality housing, and safe work.
- Federal, state, and local governments should prioritize disproportionately affected communities and include these groups in planning how to reach the people who can most benefit from the information.
(Washington, DC) – Air pollution from wildfires is on the rise, but experiences from Oregon indicate that public health officials are not doing enough to provide education and resources to pregnant people. Human Rights Watch, an international human rights advocacy organization, and Nurturely, an organization that promotes equity in perinatal wellness, said today. Officials are not listening to the needs and experiences of pregnant people most at risk of exposure and enabling trusted community health workers to provide localized, actionable advice.
The 78-page report, “Reproductive Rights in the US Wildfire Crisis: Insights from Health Workers in Oregon State,” finds that the US government needs to do more to address the growing threat wildfires pose to maternal and newborn health, particularly in marginalized communities. The organizations documented the impacts of recent wildfires on maternal and newborn health in the state of Oregon, drawing on the experiences of community health workers and maternal health providers, among others.
“Pregnancy health and wellbeing is at risk in the US, with deep and painful unjust inequities between communities,” said Aver Yakubu, program director at Nurturely. “We’re living in the climate crisis now and it’s crucial for state and federal governments to address the effects of environmental harms on pregnancy that intersect with systemic racism factors, such as economic inequities that dictate whether someone can temporarily leave a smokey area or not, quality housing, and safe work environments.”
Wildfires, including increasingly common megafires, hazardous smoke, and extreme heat, have been on the rise in part because of drier, hotter conditions due to climate change. The recent trend of increasingly damaging fires in closer proximity to inhabited areas is predicted to continue: Oregon state health officials said in July that, in Oregon, levels of harmful “particulate matter, or PM2.5, from wildfire smoke are expected to double or triple by the end of the century.” PM2.5 is associated with worse maternal and newborn health in many studies.
Human Rights Watch and Nurturely interviewed more than 50 maternal health providers including doctors, doulas, midwives, and community health workers in Oregon – a state greatly affected by wildfires – as well as public health officials and scientists.
Findings showed that trusted community-based health workers, including doulas and midwives, are important but under-supported in providing information and protective strategies. They found that some communities struggle to find and use public health information, like advice on when and how to use air filters on high-risk, low-air-quality wildfire smoke days. Pregnant people and other at-risk groups should be included in planning how to reach the groups who can most benefit from the information.
Wildfire exposure is associated with adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth, a major cause of infant death in the US, that can also cause lifelong physical and mental health harm. Preterm birth rates have increased in recent years in the US and, like low birth weight and infant mortality rates, are twice as high for Black mothers, for example, than white mothers. Maternal and newborn health are threatened by the climate crisis in other ways too. For example, studies on exposure to extreme heat have found associations not only with preterm birth, but also still birthand maternal health complications. A recent study found wildfire exposure and extreme heat together could have a bigger harmful impact on pregnancy. Toxic chemicals in wildfire smoke have also been found, in other studies, to be associated with maternal health problems such as hypertension.
The groups said state and federal authorities should adopt a reproductive justice approach to providing support services. Pregnant people, including those on public health insurance like Medicaid, should have access to air filters and air conditioning units, and receive assistance leaving areas with low air quality as needed. Additionally, workplace safety rules for periods of high heat and smoke should be improved.
“Online advice about hazardous air pollution is more accessible and actionable to a middle-class person who speaks English or Spanish, is already concerned and knows where to look, and who can afford air filters and to stay at home on the worst days,” said Skye Wheeler, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The situation is very different for a pregnant person whose rental home leaks smoke, or who lives in a tent, or who must work in smoke and heat.”
The groups also found that maternal mental health was at risk in wildfire events, and that healthcare providers were also adversely impacted as they were left to figure out how to protect themselves and family as well as their patients. Wildfires also meant that pregnant people missed out on pre- or postnatal care and were sometimes not able to give birth where they wanted.
Community-based doula care can provide global majority communities with culturally appropriate support and allyship for pregnant people, and is also associated with improved birth outcomes. Research by a group of maternal health organizations found that doulas are concerned about climate impacts, are already providing some information and advice to their clients, and want to be better resourced to be able to do more. US states are increasingly providing Medicaid coverage for doula care to improve the affordability of their services, but most still do not.
The US also needs to do more to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, including by beginning a fair and equitable phase-out of the fossil fuel industry, the groups said. The US is the world’s biggest oil and gas producer and accounts for the greatest share – more than one third – of all planned global oil and gas expansion through 2050.
“There is no way to adapt our way out from the health harm of wildfires without transitioning from the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry,” Yakubu said. “But pregnant people should be able to equitably access information about hazards from wildfire smoke, and what protections are available for them and the next generation.”
Oregon
Lawsuit accuses Oregon police department of illegally monitoring progressive activists
![Lawsuit accuses Oregon police department of illegally monitoring progressive activists Lawsuit accuses Oregon police department of illegally monitoring progressive activists](https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/abc_news_default_2000x2000_update_16x9_992.jpg)
MEDFORD, Ore. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is suing the city of Medford, saying its police department has been unlawfully monitoring progressive political activists who aren’t suspected of criminal activity.
City officials insisted they have not monitored the groups because of their views or constitutionally protected activities, but only to prepare for possible public safety impacts, such as traffic disruptions, conflicts between protesters and counter-protesters, and property damage.
In the early 1980s, after revelations that Portland police had routinely surveilled civil liberties, racial justice and other groups, the Oregon Legislature approved a law barring law enforcement agencies from collecting information about the political, religious or social views or activities of any individual or group unless it directly relates to a criminal investigation.
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court, the Medford Police Department for several years has monitored the activities and social media accounts of people involved in an array of causes, including racial justice, LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, preventing drug overdoses, and providing services for unhoused people.
The lawsuit is based on police emails and other documents first obtained through public records requests by the website info4publicuse.org.
It alleges that the police department broke the law by monitoring or infiltrating social media accounts or groups for information about protests, including Black Lives Matter demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020 and a “Bans off our bodies” demonstration around the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the federal right to abortion in 2022.
“The Medford Police is blatantly disregarding a three-decades-old state law that prohibits this type of surveillance,” Kelly Simon, ACLU of Oregon legal director, said in a written statement. “Their doubling down is a bald display of impunity from those we trust to enforce the law.”
In an emailed statement Tuesday, Medford City Attorney Eric Mitton disputed that.
“The purpose of reviewing publicly-available information on social media channels is not to analyze or judge individuals’ political, religious, or social views, but to address legitimate police interests regarding public rallies and protests,” he wrote.
Mitton’s email also included a statement from Medford Police Chief Justin Ivens, who said the department prioritizes community safety while upholding constitutional rights.
“We use publicly accessible information to plan and staff events impacting public safety,” Ivens said. “This ensures our ability to address potential safety concerns while safeguarding those exercising their constitutional right to free speech.”
Among the emails cited in the lawsuit were some showing that police monitored activists’ social media for information about the showing of a drive-in movie in conjunction with Juneteenth activities in 2020, amid broader demonstrations over Floyd’s death; about demonstrations concerning a COVID-19 outbreak at a local jail; and about any plans for protests related to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
The lawsuit said public records showed police kept a “dossier” on the local nonprofit the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, which promotes LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, including screenshots of its Facebook page.
Other records included emails concerning Stabbin Wagon — an organization that advocates for and provides clean syringes, overdose reversal medication, and contraceptives to at-risk and unhoused residents — as well as public statements its founder Melissa Jones had made criticizing police raids on homeless encampments.
The Pepper Shakers, Stabbin Wagon and Jones are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
“Instead of investigating real safety threats, the Medford Police are wasting resources spying on someone like me who’s just trying to care for my neighbors,” Jones said in a statement released by the ACLU.
Oregon
Ocean sunfish washes up on Oregon beach
![Ocean sunfish washes up on Oregon beach Ocean sunfish washes up on Oregon beach](https://gray-kptv-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/THZ3CPBNHRHORNROCMXBTW4EIY.jpg?auth=5bb50ec5449d84935e4d9fe6d2fadcb0c649c0b5371c94982db1e74fea5c782c&width=1200&height=600&smart=false&focal=550%2C541)
CLATSOP COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) – A big fish has washed ashore along the Oregon coast over the weekend.
A Mola mola was found about half a mile south of the Sunset Beach approach. The Seaside Aquarium says the fish is only a little over five feet, but Mola molas or ocean sunfish can get up to 10 feet and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds.
The aquarium says there are three different species of sunfish in the genus Mola: Mola mola, Mola tecta, and Mola alexandrine.
SEE ALSO:
A 7.3-foot Mola tecta – hoodwinker sunfish – washed ashore on a beach in Gearhart back in June.
It’s not known at this time why the Mola mola washed up on the Oregon coast.
Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
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