OREGON

Christian clergy have long dominated the chaplaincy in the United States.

Foreign drug cartels that established illegal outdoor marijuana farms in Oregon last year are adapting as pressure on them begins to mount, law enforcement officials said Thursday. New challenges are emerging as a task force created by the Legislature met for the first time to figure out how to combat cannabis-related problems, some of which threaten Oregon's legal, regulated recreational marijuana industry. The Task Force on Cannabis-Derived Intoxicants and Illegal Cannabis Production is also responsible for recommending funding and command structure to enable law enforcement to combat illegal cannabis production, changes to state laws to address labor trafficking and water theft by the cartel-financed pot farms and regulations on genetic engineering of cannabis, among other issues.

The woman, who lived in suburban Portland, was in a custody dispute with her spouse, a newspaper says.

The woman, who lived in suburban Portland, was in a custody dispute with her spouse, a newspaper says.

The endangered California condor returned to soar the skies over the state's far northern coast redwood forests on Tuesday for the first time in more than a century. Two captive-bred birds were released from a pen in Redwood National Park, about an hour's drive south of the Oregon border, under a project aimed at restoring the giant vultures to their historic habitat in the Pacific Northwest. The two male condors were moved into staging area at late morning and a remotely controlled gate was opened.

"Boston's flag-raising program does not express government speech," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the Supreme Court, which reversed a lower court's judgment.

Adding to the five locations already operating in San Antonio, the brand closed deals on a dozen additional locations that are set to open over the next two years.

The chain already operates eight San Antonio stores.

The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned a $1.1 billion verdict against the state over its forest management practices, the latest development in a decades-long dispute over the best use of vast tracts of forestland that cover much of the state's rural areas. A Linn County jury found in 2019 that Oregon breached its contract with 13 rural counties and 151 local taxing districts by failing to maximize timber harvests on state forests over the last two decades. The counties have said Oregon must manage more than 700,000 acres (28,327 hectares) of state forestland for maximum timber revenue, while the state Department of Forestry believes it has the discretion to manage the land for wildlife and recreation.

“We all understand the excitement spring brings but these irresponsible individuals, including parents and their college-aged children, should be ashamed.”

President Joe Biden opened a two-day visit to the Pacific Northwest by focusing more on the airport where he landed than on any of the region’s traditional, natural attractions.

A Native American tribe in Oregon is assessing its legal options after the U.S. government said it would release water from a federally operated reservoir to downstream farmers along the Oregon-California border.

A Native American tribe in Oregon said Tuesday it is assessing its legal options after learning the U.S. government plans to release water from a federally operated reservoir to downstream farmers along the Oregon-California border amid a historic drought. This summer's water allocation plan, released by the Bureau of Reclamation last week, will send about 50,000 acre-feet of water to farmers in the Klamath Reclamation Project — less than 15% of what they would get in a normal year. An acre-foot is the amount needed to cover one acre of land with water one foot deep.

Investigators say they used genetic technology to identify Patricia "Patsy" Skiple of Colton, Oregon, aka "Blue Pacheco," whose death is attributed to serial killer Keith Jesperson.

Various state legislators around the country are calling it quits this year, in part because of the low pay.

When trying to decide whether to seek a fourth term in the Connecticut House of Representatives, Rep. Joe de la Cruz ran the question by his wife, whom he jokingly refers to as his lawyer and financial adviser. While Tammy de la Cruz didn't want to discourage her 51-year-old husband from stepping away from the part-time job he has grown to love, she acknowledged it didn't make financial sense for him run again in November. “The retirement planner in her didn’t even have to use a calculator to do the math,” Joe de la Cruz, a Democrat, told fellow House members when he announced in February that he's not seeking reelection.

Former WNBA player Shoni Schimmel was arrested Friday and pleaded not guilty to assaulting a former partner on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeastern Oregon. Schimmel, 29, has been charged with assault by strangulation of an intimate dating partner and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Schimmel was first arrested on June 14 last year and was held in the Umatilla County jail on charges including felony assault and criminal mischief.

The battle over who represents Oregon’s new congressional district has become heated as six Democratic candidates jointly denounced almost $1 million in support for a rival party member by a super PAC that focuses on electing Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Funding shortfalls, aging infrastructure, increased visitation, climate change and inequity are challenges for state park systems going into the next century.

In the wake of Idaho's upcoming ban on most abortions, Oregon is preparing for an increase in demand for the procedure. The state is investing millions to help patients and providers most affected.

There are mixed results so far from Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization law.

Oregon voters approved a ballot measure in 2020 to decriminalize hard drugs after being told it was a way to establish and fund addiction recovery centers that would offer people aid instead of incarceration. With Oregon being the first state in America to decriminalize possession of personal-use amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other drugs, its program is being watched as a potential model for other states. Under Ballot Measure 110, possession of controlled substances is now a newly created Class E “violation," instead of a felony or misdemeanor.

Alaska Airlines canceled dozens of U.S. West Coast flights Friday as off-duty pilots picketed in several major cities over an impasse in nearly three years of contract negotiations.

Under a settlement reached in a federal lawsuit this week, terminally ill patients seeking physician-assisted death in Oregon are no longer required to be residents of the state.

Under a settlement reached in a federal lawsuit this week, terminally ill patients seeking physician-assisted death in Oregon are no longer required to be residents of the state.

Some conservative counties are pushing to join red states, which would shift politics, tax dollars and demographics.

Some conservative counties are pushing to join red states, which would shift politics, tax dollars and demographics.

Enrique Rodriguez Jr., 24, had roughly double the legal limit of alcohol in his blood when he allegedly plowed into a homeless encampment in Salem, Ore., early Sunday morning.

Climate change is making landslides more likely.

The island's isolation, impossible boat landings and extreme weather as well as the lighthouse crews' dislike of their months-long stays earned the tower the nickname "Terrible Tilly." The lighthouse was also once a columbarium.

Oregon will no longer require people to be residents of the state to use its law allowing terminally ill people to end their own lives, after a lawsuit challenged the requirement as unconstitutional.

The state of Oregon is channeling millions of dollars into addiction recovery programs due to a law that passed in 2020. But the state is having trouble finding the workforce to fill these jobs.

The alleged driver was arrested hours later and charged with manslaughter and reckless endangerment. Authorities say they suspect alcohol may have played a role.

The fish was likely over 80 years old, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added a contaminated island on the Columbia River to the Superfund list of toxic waste sites.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday added Bradford Island and surrounding waters of the Columbia River to its Superfund list of toxic waste sites, beginning the process for the eventual cleanup of the area. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates nearby Bonneville Dam, for years dumped toxic waste on the island, located 40 miles (63 kilometers) east of Portland, Oregon, and into a portion of the river. The uninhabited Bradford Island is part of the federal Bonneville Dam complex on the Columbia River, which divides Washington and Oregon.

The 7-year-old boy was playing outside his apartment complex when he was grabbed by the man, police said.

An Oregon woman gave birth to a baby girl on a sidewalk and then walked away and left the child, authorities said Thursday.

Makeshift shelters abut busy roadways, tent cities line sidewalks, tarps cover broken-down cars, and sleeping bags are tucked in storefront doorways. The reality of the homelessness crisis in Oregon's largest city can’t be denied. “I would be an idiot to sit here and tell you that things are better today than they were five years ago with regard to homelessness,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said recently.

The interest and fees will be paid in advance creating what's called Tier 1 capital, almost immediately allowing the Black banks to offer more loans.

Wake Forest meets Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament looking for another win on its NCAA Tournament resume.

Rescue crews encountered deep snow and avalanche conditions, with winds blowing between 50 and 70 mph, officials said.

Time to celebrate. Cut yourself a piece of angel food cake and crack the O’Doul’s.

74% of the Pacific Northwest is experiencing drought conditions, with the region's rain and snow season set to end in April.

Climate scientists in the U.S. Pacific Northwest warned Thursday that much of Oregon and parts of Idaho can expect even tougher drought conditions this summer than in the previous two years, which already featured dwindling reservoirs, explosive wildfires and deep cuts to agricultural irrigation. At a news conference hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, water and climate experts from Oregon, Washington and Idaho said parts of the region should prepare now for severe drought, wildfires and record-low stream flows that will hurt salmon and other fragile species. Drought covers 74% of the Pacific Northwest and nearly 20% is in extreme or exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Regardless of where you live, severe weather can strike while you're out on the road, so how do you prepare? CBS2's Vanessa Murdock shows us what should be in your car.

A deadly heat wave in the Pacific Northwest last summer offers a glimpse of the types of extreme weather that a United Nations report says will become more common in North America with worsening climate change.

The West Coast announcements come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased the federal mask guidance Friday.

“With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance,” the governors said in a statement. The milestone, two years in the making, comes as much of the country relaxes public health orders, including school mask mandates, in an effort to restore normalcy and boost economic recovery. Starting Tuesday in California, masks will no longer be required but “strongly recommended" for unvaccinated individuals in most indoor settings. A handful of California school districts have already dropped mask mandates for students in recent weeks in open defiance of the state mandate. Jay Inslee said health officials will announce new guidance for schools next week to give them time to prepare.

The California Teachers Association said it expected a mixed reaction to the announcement at schools.

Schoolchildren in California, Oregon and Washington will no longer be required to wear masks as part of new indoor mask policies the Democratic governors of all three states announced jointly on Monday. “With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance,” the governors said in a statement.

Iowa climbed nine spots in the AP women's basketball poll to No. 12 after a big week for the Hawkeyes.

Oregon has spent February trying to overcome shaky losses on its NCAA Tournament resume.

A 43-year-old man confronted protesters against police violence in a Portland, Oregon, park, told them to leave and then drew a pistol and opened fire, killing a woman and wounding four other people, a prosecutor said Tuesday. The description by Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Mariel Mota of the Saturday night shooting was the first detailed official account of the bloodshed. It came as Oregon's biggest city is experiencing a sharp rise in gun violence and after Portland was an epicenter in Black Lives Matter protests.

Texas State got another crack at the team that ended its season last year.The Bobcats hosted No. 12 Oregon in their home opener on Thursday.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] Sports San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Their decision comes after Oregon's Secretary of State found Kristof had not satisfied the state's residency requirement.

The Oregon secretary of state had ruled last month that Kristof does not meet the constitutional residency requirements to serve.

The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof doesn’t meet the state’s three-year residency requirement to run for governor.

Both athletes failed drug tests. One is Black, one is white. Richardson is now questioning whether that's the difference.

"It is believed the caller took his own life after calling 911 to report the accidental shooting," officials said.

Salem Health in Oregon is a major hospital, but the omicron onslaught has strained the staff like never before. Still, they show up. For the patients, and for each other. And some see signs of hope.

In recent days, a social media image showing a page from a second grade yearbook at an Oregon public school in which students are masked has led to outrage from those who say children don’t need to wear face coverings in the classroom.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who three years ago placed a moratorium on executions, now is moving to dismantle the United States' largest death row by moving all condemned inmates to other prisons within two years. The goal is to turn the section at San Quentin State Prison into a "positive, healing environment.” “We are starting the process of closing death row to repurpose and transform the current housing units into something innovative and anchored in rehabilitation,” corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters told The Associated Press.

Mississippi is in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll for the first time in 15 years, coming in at No. 24.

Winter Olympians share their experiences of seeing warming temperatures and snowmelt as well as the importance of combatting climate change.

The Biden administration says it will significantly expand efforts to stave off catastrophic wildfires that have been torching areas of the U.S. West by more aggressively thinning forests around “hot spots” where nature and neighborhoods collide.

Oregon knocked off a top-five team for the second time in two games, beating No. 5 Southern California 79-69 behind Will Richardson’s career-high 28 points.

"A tsunami has been confirmed and some impacts are expected," the National Weather Service said​ early Saturday.

Jacob Young scored a season-high 23 points and Oregon edged No. 3 UCLA 84-81 in overtime to give coach Dana Altman his 700th career victory.

Soon, Airbnb hosts in Oregon will only see the initials of some prospective renters, not their full names.

Oregon election officials ruled that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is not eligible to run for governor because he does not meet the state’s residency requirement.

From minimum wage increases to animal protection to police accountability to both cutting and increasing taxes a series of new laws are taking effect across the country on Saturday, the first day of 2022.

A thaw-out is coming for the frozen Seattle and Portland, Oregon, but not before another round of snow that could compound problems for a region more accustomed to winter rain than arctic blasts.

Students, administrators, alumni and fans of each university volunteered at the San Antonio Food Bank Wednesday morning.

Oklahoma heads into the Alamo Bowl against Oregon with all eyes on quarterback Caleb Williams.

Snow, ice and unseasonable cold in the Pacific Northwest and the Sierra Nevada are continuing to disrupt traffic, cause closures and force people to find refuge in emergency warming shelters.

Severe weather sweeping parts of the U.S. has brought frigid temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, heavy snow to mountains in Northern California and Nevada, and unseasonable warmth to Texas and the Southeast.

Elections officials in Oregon are seeking more information to determine whether former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is eligible to run for governor.

Oregon is on the verge of signing onto a $26 billion settlement with the three largest distributors of opioids and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson after being one of the latest holdout states to join.

Defending national champion Baylor has maintained its top spot in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, though not without ceding a No. 1 vote to Arizona, while the six remaining unbeatens continued their rise.

The Oregon Legislature has dedicated $25 million to combatting the proliferation of illegal marijuana farms in Oregon.

Melting glaciers, deadly floods in Germany, record high summer temperatures in generally mild Oregon, more urgent pleas for help from Pacific island nations.

Mario Cristobal is leaving Oregon and headed home to Miami.

The 2021 edition of the Valero Alamo Bowl will feature the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oregon Ducks on December 29.

Utah will face Ohio State in the 108th edition of the Rose Bowl.

A Canadian energy company that sought to build a natural gas pipeline and marine export terminal in Oregon has pulled the plug on the controversial project after failing to obtain all necessary state permits.

An Oregon-born gray wolf that thrilled biologists as it journeyed far south into California was found dead after apparently being struck by a vehicle.

Florida was added to the lengthy list of schools looking for a head football coach that already includes LSU and USC.

The release of The Associated Press women’s basketball poll will be delayed a day because of a Monday afternoon matchup between the top two teams.

Britain Covey returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, giving Utah 14 points in 27 seconds and a 28-0 lead, and the No. 24 Utes ended No. 4 Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes with a 38-7 victory Saturday night.

Officials in Oregon's largest city have approved of an additional $5.2 million in police spending, including hiring more officers and buying body-worn cameras.

An alliance of unions representing 50,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in California, Oregon and six other states has called off a strike notice after reaching a tentative labor deal with the health care network.

U.S. wildlife officials say political appointees in President Donald Trump's administration relied on faulty science to justify stripping habitat protections for the imperiled northern spotted owl.

Cincinnati held on to the No. 2 ranking by just four points over No. 3 Alabama in The Associated Press college football poll, and Oregon passed Ohio State to move up to No. 5.

Oregon-based youth climate activists say settlement talks with the U.S. Department of Justice have failed six years after they first filed a federal lawsuit in Eugene.

Tourism officials from Oregon's largest city are calling Portland’s reputation “badly damaged” by months of destructive protests, a homeless crisis and a record year for homicides.

Former New York Times reporter and columnist Nicholas Kristof has announced he is running for governor of Oregon, the state where he grew up on a sheep and cherry farm.

Conflicts over water are as old as history itself, but the massive Google data centers on the edge of a small Oregon town represent an emerging 21st century concern.

Last week, police in southern Oregon raided a site that had roughly two tons of processed marijuana and 17,500 pot plants.

Anthony Brown scored on an 11-yard keeper with 4:50 left and ninth-ranked Oregon held off surprisingly tenacious California 24-17.