Testing opt-out legislation little more than a cop-out
By the time you read this, the Oregon Senate may have sent HB 2655, a standardized testing opt-out enabler, to Gov. Kate Brown. And with an eye to a looming campaign dependent on Oregon Education Association ...
E-cigarette law leaves users out in the cold
Despite plenty of public outcry, there seems little hope for e-cigarette users to escape the web of regulations imposed on tobacco smokers. Most jurisdictions seem intent on applying the same restrictions ...
City needs to get serious about downtown parking
America’s long-standing love affair with the auto shows no signs of souring. Neither does McMinnville’s long-standing love affair with downtown tourism and commerce. That situation puts the ...
Let's take antibiotics out of livestock feed
Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming, toiling at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, discovered the infection-fighting properties of the penicillium mold in a hallelujah moment heralded on Sept. ...
Ongoing vaccination coverage proves need for more education
The debate over childhood vaccinations shows no sign of slowing. While a head-scratching majority and vocal minority continue the discourse, however, we’ll continue to support measures erring on ...
Affordable housing cries for multi-pronged effort
On every level — city, county, state and nation — we are facing an acute shortage of affordable housing. Several forces combined to create the problem, so several will have to be harnessed ...
It's time to revise kicker law to boost state rainy day fund
Everyone enjoys a little extra pocket change. So it’s likely welcome news for most that Oregon’s one-of-a-kind tax kicker has been triggered, promising families an average of about $300 back ...
Don't wait for emergencies to begin conserving water
Snowpack and water level statistics for Northwestern Oregon are alarming. But take a drive over the Cascade Range, and you’ll see an eye-opening picture of just how deep the state’s water problem ...
Police video secrecy an unwarranted step
Though hard counts aren’t available, most analysts agree that more than 1,000 Americans are felled by police gunfire annually. On the other side of the ledger, hard counts are available, and they ...
YCAP in safe hands as it ushers in new leader
There are two ways to view the looming shift in the Yamhill Community Action Partnership helm from Lee Means to Jeff Sargent. In one, the reins are being passed by a woman from a McKenzie River logging ...
Fine lessons to extract from local multi-generational wine
When David Lett christened the region’s first pinot noir vines in 1965, it represented the birth of an industry that has become practically synonymous with the Yamhill Valley by the dawn of the 21st ...
It's deja vu all over again with Mac sports complex
Imagine that William T. Newby, who founded McMinnville, had been forced to contend with today’s land use process when he set out to erect a grist mill on Cozine Creek in 1853. Having enjoyed eight ...
YCOM deal a step in the right direction
The agreement approved two weeks ago between Yamhill County’s board of commissioners and the Yamhill Communications Agency’s budget committee represents a major development — one that ...