Why gray whales are becoming harder to find near Port Orford
An Oregon State University research team studying gray whales near Port Orford saw just one during six weeks of fieldwork this summer. Researchers are tracking major changes to the marine ecosystem, including the loss of kelp forests and reduced habitat for the zooplankton gray whales feed on, to better understand why whales have become increasingly scarce in the area.
Cremation is rising. An Anderson neighborhood is fighting a new facility
Residents of an Anderson neighborhood are fighting a proposal to open a crematory near homes and two schools. Neighbors have raised concerns about potential air pollution and other effects on the neighborhood. The dispute comes as cremation has become increasingly common across the U.S.
Oregon's yelloweye rockfish fishery to reopen after 25 years
Oregon commercial fishermen will be allowed to keep and sell yelloweye rockfish next year for the first time in 25 years. The species was declared overfished in 2002, but its population has since rebuilt. The reopening will also give scientists new data to help assess the population and set future catch limits.
Southern Oregon University gets final $7.5 million in state funding
Southern Oregon University will receive the remaining $7.5 million of a $15 million state funding package intended to help stabilize its finances. SOU is also carrying out a plan to cut more than $20 million, about one-fifth of its budget. Without the cuts and state assistance, the university had projected it would run out of cash by June 2027.
Note: JPR is licensed to Southern Oregon University, but our newsroom operates independently. Guided by our journalistic standards and ethics, we cover the university like any other organization in the region. No university official reviewed or edited this story before it was published.
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