Local News

News Stories Tue., Feb. 6, 2018

Posted on by sue.matters
06
Feb

Oregon lawmakers held a joint committee hearing yesterday (2/5/18) on a bill that would create a cap and trade program to reduce the state’s carbon emissions. Included in the testimony was representatives from the Warm Springs, Grand Ronde and Umatilla Tribes.  In Warm Springs – the Carbon Sequestration program was created to bring revenue to the Tribes from the carbon market.

Speaking on the opening day of the Legislature’s short session, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown made a case for increased education funding and a focus on technical education. Brown said Monday one out of every five jobs for advanced manufacturing are filled from out of state, and that state economists project 27,000 high-wage, high-demand job openings each year through 2024.

Selection of a design for the National Native American Veterans Memorial will be announced in the upcoming months.  The memorial will be built on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., and that’s where the finalists are introducing themselves and presenting their ideas this Wednesday (2/7/18).   The finalists include Cheyenne /Arapaho Harvey Pratt – an internationally known painter, sculptor and forensic artist.  Daniel SaSuWeh Jones – who is a writer, film producer, artist and the former chairman of the Ponca Tribe. Seminole Enoch Kelly Haney is a sculptor and artist as well as a former Oklahoma state senator and representative, and former principal chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.    The other finalists are James Dihn, a public artist and landscape architect; Stefanie Rocknak, a sculptor and professor of philosophy in upstate New York; and Leroy Transfield (Māori: Ngai Tahu/Ngati Toa), a sculptor originally from New Zealand who studied in Hawaii and founded his own studio in Orem, Utah, where he currently resides.  The Winning design will be announced on July 4th.

Valentine’s Day is next Wednesday and https://www.offers.com/ surveyed over 1,000 consumers across the country to discover the top national trends and gift ideas for this Valentine’s Day.  The average consumer will be spending around $55 this year on Valentine’s Day.  In Oregon – Top Valentine’s Day Trends are:

  • Oregon consumers chose a flower bouquet as their top Valentine’s Day gift, followed by a teddy bear, mens rings, roses and chocolate.
  • Oregon shoppers chose lingerie/underwear or a bottle of alcohol as their least favorite gifts for Valentine’s Day.
  • To celebrate the holiday, 20% of Oregon consumers say they will be going out to dinner,
  • Oregon consumers prefer a box of chocolates (50%) and chocolate covered strawberries (30%) for their top Valentine’s Day treats.
  • Roses steal the show in Oregon, with 60% of the state choosing roses as the favorite Valentine’s Day flower. But if you want to give a more unique gift this year, consider Lilies (27%) or Tulips (13%).
sue.matters