ECONOMY & FINANCE ●Wined & Dimed. Oregon’s booming wine industry earned $8.1 billion in 2022 compared to $7.2 billion in 2019, according to the Oregon Wine Board, which released its latest Economic Impact Report in February. ●Billion to One. The lucky person who purchased a winning Powerball ticket worth $1.3 billion from a Northeast Portland Plaid Pantry came forward in April to claim the jackpot. HEALTH CARE ●Access Granted. The Oregon Health Authority launched a website in March to help explain reproductive health care policies to patients. Under Oregon law, abortion is legal and residents of other states may travel here for an abortion. ●Music City Mayhem. A ransomware attack on Nashville-based third-party payment system Change Healthcare in February caused disruptions for health care providers around the country, including Oregon systems such as Providence and Kaiser Permanente. POLITICS ●House Money. The Oregon Legislature passed three bills that will direct a combined $376 million to cities around the state to address homelessness and housing unaffordability. Gov. Tina Kotek set an ambitious goal of building 36,000 homes per year or around double the current rate. ●State of Repair. With a swipe of Gov. Kotek’s pen in March, Oregon passed one of the nation’s strongest Right to Repair laws. Senate Bill 1596 goes further than other states by requiring electronics manufacturers to provide tools and information to help consumers repair their devices. ●A-Drazan Race. Two years after her unsuccessful bid for governor, former Oregon House Republican leader Christine Drazan announced her bid to challenge Canby’s James Hieb in the Republican primary for Oregon’s 51st House District. MANUFACTURING ●Shoe Fall. In February, Nike announced plans to lay off nearly 2% of its global workforce (around 1,600 people) as part of a three-year plan to cut costs. At press time, the sportwear giant announced 740 people at its Beaverton headquarters would lose their jobs. ●Bella! Nick’s Italian Cafe, long a Willamette Valley wine - country fixture, announced plans to reopen after closing in July. The new owners are the team behind Earth & Sea in Carlton, who say they want to honor the tradition of chef Nick Peirano, who founded the eatery in 1977. TOURISM & HOSPITALITY ●Get Starstruck. Lake County’s Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary was recently certified as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, becoming the largest in the world. FARMS & FORESTS ●Burning Cash. In March a Portland jury awarded $42 million to 10 people affected by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. The sentence concluded a class-action lawsuit against energy company PacifiCorp. ●Law School. A school district in the Clatsop State Forest sued the state alleging the recently passed Western State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan will force cuts of staff and services. The Jewell School District claims the plan, which reduces the volume of wood harvested in the forest, could cost the small district $1 million per year in revenue. EDUCATION ●Learning Loss Leader. A 30-state study by researchers at Harvard and Stanford found that following the pandemic, Oregon students remain three-quarters of a year behind in math and two-thirds of a year behind in reading. ●CHIPS Ahoy! Computer electronics manufacturer Intel announced it will spend $36 billion to expand its chipmaking operation in Hillsboro. The company had earlier received $8.5 billion from the 2022 federal CHIPS and Science Act. TECH ●Bad Apple. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum joined 15 other state AGs in a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging Apple maintains an illegal monopoly on smartphones. ●Semi Pro. With the passage of House Bill 4154, the Oregon Legislature established a $10 million fund to train the next generation of semiconductor workers at public universities and community colleges. RESTAURANTS & RETAIL ●Desert Froth. Grants Passbased coffee chain Dutch Bros. announced it will move 40% of its administrative staff to Phoenix, Ariz., by 2025. ●Seasons Greetings. Portland-Vancouver grocery chain New Seasons cut the ribbon on its latest location — its 20th — off Highway 224 in Milwaukie. ⁄Newsfeed⁄ The Milky Way shines over Lake County’s Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary. SHANNON THEALL Guess you better keep on working. 8
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==