Boarded-up buildings prompt Grants Pass to consider new rules
Grants Pass officials are considering maintenance standards for commercial properties that remain vacant, boarded up or in disrepair. The city can act when buildings pose safety or health hazards but has few options for properties that are simply neglected.
Councilors supported further study but cautioned against burdening property owners. City staff will present possible code changes at a future workshop.
SNAP cuts, soaring food costs and rising hunger grip Oregon families
Oregon food banks are struggling with record demand as grocery prices remain high and fewer residents receive federal food assistance.
In June, 126,000 fewer Oregonians received SNAP benefits than a year earlier. Providers say supplies are shrinking as new families seek help and federal changes make SNAP harder to access.
Goats for fire prevention? The idea might have legs
Some Northwest landowners and agencies are using goats to reduce wildfire fuels, especially where heavy equipment cannot operate.
Targeted grazing can remove shrubs, blackberries and other vegetation for a few hundred dollars per acre. But timing, transportation costs and environmental concerns limit where it can be used.
Prehistoric pedestrians once walked 9th Street in Corvallis. Now, you can see proof at the library
A roughly 12,700-year-old Columbian mammoth tusk discovered beneath a Corvallis street is now on display at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.
A utility crew found it during pipeline work in 2021. Oregon State University researchers and students later excavated and preserved it. More of the mammoth could remain beneath Ninth Street.
Oregon gets $150K to create habitat for bees and butterflies
The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to plant native seeds and adjust mowing practices. Supporters say that could reconnect fragmented habitat and reduce pesticide use.
Southern Oregon advocates question whether roadsides are the best investment, citing traffic, pollution and maintenance challenges. They say parks and community spaces could be more manageable alternatives.
