Sports and clubs on the line in Washougal and Woodland school districts
School sports and clubs hang in the balance in two Southwest Washington school districts as voters decide on tax levies in April. The 2023-24 budget reduction plan for the Washougal School District calls for eliminating 244 staff positions to make up for revenue declines if the district’s levy fails. Among the cuts are all 155 sports coaches and club advisers. The Woodland district may also eliminate middle school sports and bus transportation for high school teams if its levy fails. (Meg Wochnick/The Columbian)
Oregon’s 2nd bar dedicated to women’s sports opens in Salem
Icarus Chicken officially opened earlier this month, becoming the first sports bar in Salem and the second in Oregon that exclusively shows women’s sports. The bar, which focuses on chicken wings, was opened to provide a space for people to watch women’s sports in a fun atmosphere. It’s also the second downtown Salem venture for two-time James Beard Award semifinalist Jonathan Jones, who co-owns Icarus with his partner, Maura Ryan, and friends Kelli and Aaron Gilliland. (Em Chan/Salem Statesman Journal)
Oregon advances bill to create ‘community resilience hubs’
A bill to award grants for creation of so-called “community resilience hubs” is working its way through the Oregon Legislature. The hubs would be places for residents to turn to in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, and would be operated by local governments, nonprofits, schools or tribes. After advancing out of its House committee, the bill will now compete with dozens of other funding proposals in the legislative budget committee. (Chris M Lehman/KLCC)
North Coast fire districts struggle to recruit volunteers
Fire districts on Oregon’s North Coast have scrambled to keep up as increasing call volume and demands for services push emergency response to a breaking point. Despite differences in resources, budgets, staffing levels and ranges of duties, fire chiefs pointed to one vital need: volunteers. North Coast fire chiefs say volunteering has dropped due to lack of housing, enhanced training requirements, a shift in culture, frivolous calls and more. (Ethan Myers/The Astorian)
2 Portland high school students dead in weekend shooting
Two people who died in a shooting Saturday afternoon — 17-year-old Eskender Tamra and 19-year-old Babu Daudi — were Portland high school students, according to statements from the school district. A third victim of the shooting, 20-year-old Patrick Johnson, Jr., also died. The trio were found in a car in North Portland Saturday afternoon. Police say suspects left the scene before officers arrived. No arrests have been made. Tamra was an 11th grader at Franklin High School in Southeast Portland and Daudi was a senior at North Portland’s Roosevelt High School. In messages to school families, administrators said the shooting directly impacts each school’s community. The principals shared grief resources for families, students and staff, and outlined plans to offer increased support for students when they return from spring break next week. Portland police ask anyone with information about the shooting to contact detectives. (Elizabeth Miller/OPB)