The remnants of a house and minivan in Phoenix, Oregon, September 2020.
Credit Brian Bull / KLCC
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden is among those signed on to a letter to FEMA’s administrator. The agency has taken heat for rejecting most of the disaster relief claims from last year’s wildfire victims.
“We really need these federal officials to jumpstart improvements in how these procedures work, Senator Wyden told KLCC. Because Oregonians really feel that after they’ve been hit by a disaster, these horrendous weather challenges, the last thing they need is to get hit with another round of excessive bureaucratic red tape.”
Newport voters could decide whether to increase the city s gas tax and create a new sales tax on restaurant meals.
Credit Brian Bull / KLCC
The restaurant tax would be five percent and would make Newport just the third Oregon city with a sales tax on prepared food. Ashland and Yachats already have such a tax, and Cannon Beach is considering a similar proposal.
Separately, Newport’s local gas tax could go up from three cents a gallon in the summer and one cent in the winter to a year-round rate of five cents a gallon.
Newport City Manager Spencer Nebel said both taxes would help pay for city services such as police and fire.
5:16
KLCC s Brian Bull reports on the Jingle Dress Project, a group of Native American dancers and a photographer who ve traveled the U.S. promoting healing and unity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and racial/political strife.
In a parking lot teeming with tourists in Cannon Beach, Oregon, sisters Erin and Dion Tapahe and their friend, Sunni Begay, helped each other put on long dresses adorned with beadwork, fur, and hundreds of metal cones called “jingles”.
The process didn’t always go smoothly.
“Hahahah!” cried Begay, as Tapahe adjusted the sleeves to her dress, poking her under the arms, “Oh, you’re tickling me!”
1:02
KLCC s Brian Bull reports on the rebuilding efforts across the McKenzie River Corridor 10 months past the Holiday Farm FIre.
Hundreds of homes went up in flames during last September’s horrific Holiday Farm Fire. Keir Miller is Lane County’s Land Management Division Manager. He said on the national average, there’s a 25% rebuild rate after five years. The rate’s a little better on the West Coast, but Miller warned there’s still a number of houses – and residents - that won’t be back, for several reasons. Financial, obviously. Perceptions of risk. Individuals just choose to – for whatever reason – move out of the area. Maybe they were getting ready to leave.”
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