News release: Oregon State Parks will host Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon Coast Saturday, March 23 through Sunday, March 31.
Trained Oregon State Park volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites along the Oregon Coast to help visitors spot whales and their calves and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily March 23-31. The sites are some of the best places to watch for whales on the Oregon Coast.
The spring event is three days longer than last year and might include better odds of seeing gray whales on their journey home from the calving lagoons in Mexico in light of today’s announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
BOEM has designated two final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the Oregon coast, the Coos Bay WEA is 61,204 acres and located approximately 32 miles (mi) from shore. The Brookings WEA is 133,808 acres and approximately 18 mi off the coast. If fully developed, the Final WEAs could support 2.4 GW of energy production.
The news release can be read in full here
The purpose of the Council is to recommend an action plan to guide awareness education, and usage of artificial intelligence in state government that aligns with the State’s policies, goals, and values and supports public servants to deliver customer service more efficiently and effectively. The recommended action plan shall include concrete executive actions, policies, and investments needed to leverage artificial intelligence while honoring transparency, privacy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Meetings of the State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council are open to the public. Public comment may be made during the meeting. Sign-up for public comment is required as spots are limited. Sign-up closes Friday, March 15 at noon. Written comment will also be accepted. Written comment can be submitted by mail to the Council Support Office, 550 Airport Rd SE Suite C, Salem, OR 97301 or online.
Due to long-standing challenges with provider staffing, Adventist Health has announced the closure of its medical offices in Sheridan, Welches and Lincoln City.
These closures are due to the years-long efforts and difficulty recruiting qualified providers in these rural communities. “We have faced significant challenges with not only recruiting but retaining providers in these areas, even working with national and renown recruiting firms with a high track record of success have not helped the situation,” said Eric Swanson, President of Adventist Health Tillamook.
The clinic in Lincoln City will close on April 12, Hoodland in Welches on April 1, and Sheridan on March 17.
Beginning Monday, Feb. 26, and continuing for approximately three weeks, underground utility work near Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City will create traffic delays. Patients with appointments at the hospital are asked to allow extra time.
Ferren has a long history of nursing and health care leadership. She started her career in
bedside nursing at Legacy Oregon Burn Center and quickly advanced into a variety of leadership roles at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, later becoming Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Quality Officer at Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville. Most recently, she served Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City as their Chief Nursing Officer. Ferren was raised in Oregon and has family on the Oregon coast, including a sister who also works with Samaritan Health Services.
The Oregon Athletic Officials Association and the Oregon School Activities Association are recruiting officials for the high school spring sports seasons.
With the February 21 deadline fast approaching for updating kids vaccinations, the Oregon Immunization Program (OIP) reminds parents and caregivers that children may miss out on school or childcare if their records on file show missing immunizations.
I won’t bore you with the background on why we do these during election years, but only to reiterate the focus should be on key fixes and some budgeting.
