PULASKI â Hecate Energy is one step closer to building a 2,700-acre solar farm on agricultural land in Pulaski County after the planning commission voted in favor of the proposed project.
On a 4-2 vote Tuesday night in front of approximately 100 residents, the commission recommended the county Board of Supervisors approve the special use permit the Chicago-based renewable energy company needs to move forward with one of the stateâs biggest solar farm projects on land that is currently zoned for agricultural use.
The permit would allow local landowners to lease several pieces of land to build the solar farm Hecate officials say would generate up to 280 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power approximately 57,000 homes.
Is it just me or did I get the hardest assignment? I drew the books slot for our series of stories on the best in Oregon arts and culture.
And while I have had a blast poring âover many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,â as a non-Oregonian once wrote, winnowing this puppy down has not been easy.
Originally I hoped to come up with a Top 10 list. Hopeless, utterly hopeless. Then I decided to have two lists, one for fiction and the other for nonfiction. Much better, but as you can see, the outcome is far more than just 20 books. But now that I have organized it on the basis of authors I m closer to keeping the project from killing too many trees.
Crystal River wasnât lazy as it went through the obstacles and hardships of 2020.
Boxes on the cityâs to-do list were being checked off as its leaders and staff fast-tracked town square, honed in on finishing the Riverwalk, put a tighter grip on Kingâs Bay, revamped land development codes and staked a claim of State Road 44.
âIn spite of all the issues weâve seen with COVID and all of the things it has brought, it has really been a year of action in the city,â Mayor Joe Meek said during a Zoom interview. â⦠and the proof is the pudding; I encourage folks to come to Crystal River.â
COVID changed everything
Phil and Gay Courter were quarantined on a Texas Air Force base after being flown by military cargo plane along with cruise ship passengers. This photo is taken from the plane. Photo courtesy of Phil Courter Get more from the Citrus County Chronicle
âThis is like a luxury prison.â â Philip Courter, Crystal River resident who, along with his wife, Gay, was among the passengers and crew of the Diamond Princess docked near Tokyo under quarantine in their cabins after a passenger tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. (February 2020)
âWhy? There is no reason why.â â Ernesto âTitoâ Rubio, Citrus County health department director, answering the question: âWhy has Citrus County avoided a confirmed case of COVID-19 so far?â (March 2020)