Oregon
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Oregon city, allows ban on homeless people sleeping outdoors • Maine Morning Star
The U.S. Supreme Court Friday sided with a local ordinance in Oregon that effectively bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors, and local governments will be allowed to enforce those laws.
In a 6-3 decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion that the enforcement of those local laws that regulate camping on public property does not constitute the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
“Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So may be the public policy responses required to address it,” he wrote. “The Constitution’s Eighth Amendment serves many important functions, but it does not authorize federal judges to wrest those rights and responsibilities from the American people and in their place dictate this Nation’s homelessness policy.”
The case originated in Grants Pass, a city in Oregon that argues its ordinance is a solution to the city’s homelessness crisis, which includes fines and potential jail time for repeat offenders who camp or sleep outdoors.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent arguing that the ordinance targets the status of being homeless and is therefore a violation of the Eighth Amendment.
“Grants Pass’s Ordinances criminalize being homeless,” she wrote. “The Ordinances’ purpose, text, and enforcement confirm that they target status, not conduct. For someone with no available shelter, the only way to comply with the Ordinances is to leave Grants Pass altogether.”
During oral arguments, the justices seemed split over ideological lines, with the conservative justices siding with the town in Oregon, arguing that policies and ordinances around homelessness are complex, and should be left up to local elected representatives rather than the courts.
The liberal justices criticized the city’s argument that homelessness is not a status protected under the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The liberal justices argued the Grants Pass ordinance criminalized the status of being homeless.
The Biden administration took the middle ground in the case, and U.S. Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler offered partial support.
“It’s the municipality’s determination, certainly in the first instance with a great deal of flexibility, how to address the question of homelessness,” he said during oral arguments in late April.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
It was a one-sided affair Tuesday night as the Oregon Ducks routed Air Force 98-36 in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup in Eugene.
Phillipina Kyei scored 14 points in 18 minutes, and Nani Falatea and Sarah Rambus added 11 points each for the Ducks (8-3) as 4,551 watched at Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon got contributions from up and down the roster, with 10 players scoring at least eight points and no one needing to play more than Deja Kelly’s 22 minutes. Kelly finished with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists. Elisa Mevius added eight points and eight assists.
The Ducks, who entered having lost three of their past four games, handed the Falcons (9-2) their second loss of the season and first since Air Force fell 57-51 to Army in overtime on Nov. 15.
Oregon raced to a 22-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and then matched that score in the second quarter for a 44-18 halftime lead. The Ducks continued to pull away in the second half, steadily increasing their lead the rest of the way. A 21-0 run in the fourth quarter extended Oregon’s lead to 65 before the Falcons trimmed it to a 62-point final margin.
The Ducks shot 58.9% from the field and held Air Force to 23.2% shooting. Oregon scored 68 points in the paint, 56 points on layups and 32 points off of turnovers. The Ducks also had a 23-0 advantage in fast-break points and racked up 31 assists compared with seven for the Falcons.
— Joel Odom
Safe winter driving tips in Oregon
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A long-range forecast says heavy rain, high-elevation snow and strong winds could impact Oregon and the Pacific Northwest during the busy Christmas travel period.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a “hazards risk” for the Dec. 24 to 28 period that includes potential impacts for anyone traveling.
“Travel conditions may be negatively impacted by unsettled weather,” NOAA said in a statement.
The concern is fueled by forecasts for a low pressure system that could develop into an atmospheric river or “bomb cyclone.”
Prepare for rainy, windy Christmas travel in Oregon
National Weather Service meteorologist Noah Alviz said the key message is to be prepared and watch the forecast before hitting the road around Christmas.
“Right now there is moderate confidence,” or about 40-60% chance of a major impact, Alviz said. “The key point to take home is that if you’re on the Oregon Coast or Coast Range, to prepare for possible flooding, and if you’re traveling over the Cascades, to prepare for winter weather.”
Bomb cyclone or atmospheric river could create flooding in Pacific Northwest
Days to watch for heavy precipitation in the Northwest — and possible mountain snow — include Dec. 24 and Dec. 25-28, NOAA said.
In Oregon, long-range forecasts are trending toward the weather being warmer than normal, which could indicate a greater threat for flooding than snow, Alviz said.
“We’re into a wet pattern, with rivers gradually rising, so if we end up with another low-pressure system, bomb cyclone or atmospheric river, that could lead to some flooding,” he said. “But people will just have to stay turned on that and make sure to keep an eye out.”
NOAA echoed that sentiment.
“Please stay tuned to shorter-term forecasts, as specific impacts remain unclear for any given location at this extended forecast range,” the alert said.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
The Oregon Ducks have lost another player to the transfer portal as the team prepares for the College Football Playoff.
Per reports from On3’s Pete Nakos on Monday, Oregon defensive back Khamari Terrell has entered the portal after three seasons with the Ducks. It’s unclear if Terrell will remain with the team during the CFP as some players that have entered the portal for playoff teams are sticking around for the postseason.
Originally a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class from Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas, Terrell was a playmaker on both sides of the ball as well as a dynamic returner on special teams. He received offers from programs like Clemson, USC, Baylor, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida, Missouri and more. The Ducks offered him in Jan. 2022. He committed to Oregon during his official visit later that month before officially signing with the team in Feb. 2022. He also took official visits with Baylor and Mississippi State.
According to 247Sports’ rankings, Terrell was the No. 29 cornerback in the class and the No. 36 overall player in the state of Texas.
During his freshman year in 2022, Terrell appeared in 10 of 13 games, mostly as a contributor on special teams. He posted a career-high seven total tackles that season.
In 2023, he continued to primarily have a role on special teams before finishing the campaign with six total tackles.
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Oregon has now seen the portal departures of Terrell, safety Tyler Turner, offensive tackle JacQawn McRoy and edge rushers Emar’rion Winston, Jaedon Moore and Jaxson Jones. On the flip side, the Ducks have added two defensive backs in Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman and Northwestern transfer Theran Johnson. The new roster additions will of course continue to start rolling in once the Ducks officially begin their offseason.
But first, Oregon will face off against the winner of Ohio State and Tennessee at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. If the Ducks can win that game, they would advance to the Semifinals in Arlington, Texas, to play the winner of Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson at AT&T Stadium.
The Ducks will be taking their 13-0 record and Big Ten Championship hardware into the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. This marks Oregon’s second appearance in the CFP since debuting in the first season of the four-team playoff in 2014. The Ducks made it to the National Championship that season but fell short to the Ohio State Buckeyes, led by Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott.
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