WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Wednesday a $7.8 million investment in rural Oregon school districts to support energy improvement projects like new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, lighting upgrades, alternative fuel (such as electric) vehicles, and renewable energy technologies.
“In the nearly 1,100 town halls I’ve had throughout Oregon, I’ve heard from teachers, families and students about the need for updated infrastructure in our schools and the demand for more local job opportunities,” Wyden said. “This significant investment will provide healthy, comfortable environments for kids and educators, and generate much-needed local construction jobs in rural counties statewide.”
“School opens up new worlds and possibilities to students of all ages. In order for students to get the most out of their education, schools must provide a safe and healthy learning environment,” Merkley said. “The several Oregon school districts receiving this federal funding will be able to create more sustainable and equitable infrastructure, especially for rural students and educators, all while creating good-paying local jobs in the process.”
This Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant investment, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will improve 11 facilities identified by the Oregon Department of Education in the following Oregon school districts:
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John Day SD3/Grant SD
Jefferson County SD509J
Douglas County SD 4/Roseburg SD
Three Rivers/Josephine County SD
Tillamook SD 9
Winston-Dillard SD 116
South Umpqua SD 19
“We are thrilled that three of our schools—Evergreen Elementary, Fort Vannoy, and Illinois Valley High School—will be recipients of the Renew America’s Schools Grant,” said Dave Valenzuela, Three Rivers School District Superintendent. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to Senators Wyden and Merkley for their support. Our schools are in critical need of improvements, especially with the increasing challenges of heat and smoke during fire season. It’s essential that our students have a healthy and comfortable environment to learn and thrive. These funds will allow us to make significant upgrades to benefit our students and staff, and we couldn’t be more grateful!”
“Grant School District #3 is truly ecstatic to be part of the consortium of schools in Oregon that received the Renew America Infrastructure Grant! Our team is truly grateful to Senators Wyden and Merkley for their support,” said Mark Witty, Superintendent Grant SD#3. “Grant Union JR/SR High School is in critical need for improvements in our heating systems due to the age of the current boiler and distribution system that is between 50 to 90 years old depending on location in the building. This grant will allow our students to participate in a school that not only consistently heats evenly throughout the building but also will have the added benefit of creating the new capacity to cool the building.”
“Thanks to the policies built into the federal bipartisan infrastructure law, combined with Oregon’s SB420 enabling labor standards in public contracting, we were able to bring much needed resources to eleven schools in seven Oregon school districts. This is only the beginning,” said Russ Benton, SMART Local 16 Regional Representative. ”We will continue the “SMART Facilities” grant writing program in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education and other Oregon partners bringing exponentially more resources to Oregon schools, Oregon kids, and Oregon workers.”
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
