KWSO News for Wed., Dec. 22, 2021

Yesterday there was a Christmas Drive through event for local Warm Spring’s residents which had food boxes, stockings and gifts for children in the community. A total of 341 households were served in this event with more than one thousand children given gifts. The event took place near the old elementary school with volunteers helping throughout the day.

Gov. Kate Brown has extended Oregon’s declaration of a state of emergency, as health officials prepare for an expected surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks. The emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders that the governor has issued throughout the pandemic, including orders surrounding reopening Oregon, vaccine mandates, childcare, liability protections for schools and higher education operations. Last Friday during a news conference, local scientists predicted that the state is about three weeks away from a new wave of hospitalizations that could surpass the peak by two or three times. The Oregon Health Authority reported the state’s first three omicron cases last week.

The University of Washington says it will implement remote learning for the first week of the winter quarter in January because of growing concerns about the highly-contagious omicron variant. The Seattle Times reports a Tuesday message from UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Richards says a week of primarily online classes will help minimize disruptions caused by the omicron variant and enable more people to receive a vaccination booster. The University of Oregon in Eugene said this week it will require all students, faculty, and staff to receive a COVID-19 booster as soon as they are eligible, and Willamette University will move large classes online to start next semester.

Oregon elections officials say they need more information to determine whether former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof can run for governor. The state has a three-year residency rule. Dirk VanderHart reports. “Kristof has been making the case since August that he meets state standards. He grew up in Yamhill, and despite living much of his adult life elsewhere, Kristof says he’s always considered Oregon his home. The Democrat moved recently to his family farm, but said he already regularly spent time in Oregon prior to that move. Elections officials say they need to know more. They point out that Kristof voted in New York for the 2020 election, and have asked how that squares with his claims. The question of Kristof’s residency could lead to a court battle. If either the candidate or one of his rivals doesn’t like elections officials’ decision, they can appeal. For now, Kristof has until Jan. 3 to respond to the state’s inquiry. Im DV reporting.”

In a new survey, Northwest residents ranked concerns about removing the four Lower Snake River dams. The Northwest RiverPartners commissioned the survey. Northwest RiverPartners is a non-profit that supports keeping the four controversial dams in place. The survey found 43 percent of respondents worried about increased electricity costs, while 35 percent of respondents worried about losing carbon-free electricity. Kurt Miller is the executive director of Northwest RiverPartners. “Miller: “The Lower Snake River dams are a really important part of a holistic energy policy for the Pacific Northwest.” The Northwest RiverPartners survey shows the opposite results of another recent survey commissioned by environmental groups. Those results showed Washington voters support a plan to remove the dams and replace the energy the dams generate.

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