HWD Civics

Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, has been nominated to serve as director of the Indian Health Service. Cruz currently serves as senior advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before taking the role.

The Oregon governor’s opposition adds a major twist to a proposed animal cruelty measure that has divided hunters, farmers, ranchers, animal-rights advocates and political leaders across the state.

Unofficial Wednesday morning election results show Steve Bitzer appearing to win the Klamath County Commissioner Position 2 race outright, while Oregon voters rejected Measure 120 and several major statewide races moved toward November matchups.

More than $26.4 million in new state shelter funding has been awarded to regional coordinators serving Southern Oregon, the South Coast, and Central Oregon. The awards are part of more than $102 million announced statewide through Oregon’s Statewide Shelter Program.

Klamath County is now under a state drought emergency after Governor Tina Kotek declared emergency status for Klamath, Coos, and Wheeler counties. State officials say 70% of Klamath County is in moderate to severe drought, while the Klamath Basin’s snow water equivalent was reported at just 4% of normal in late April.

Nearly $48.7 million in federal Secure Rural Schools funding is headed to Oregon counties, with Southern Oregon communities receiving some of the largest allocations in the state. Douglas, Klamath, Jackson, and Josephine counties are among the top recipients.

Lake County District Attorney Paul Charas is resigning just over a year into his term, saying chronic underfunding has made it increasingly difficult to prosecute cases. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Charas cited staffing shortages, minimal trial resources, and the strain of serving as the county’s only prosecutor.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley will host a series of town halls across Central and Southern Oregon on March 20–21, including stops in Klamath, Lake, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties. The events are part of his ongoing effort to hold annual conversations in all 36 counties statewide.

State funding will support a new wastewater treatment plant in Chiloquin and an infrastructure study of the aging sanitation system in Gilchrist.

Congressman Cliff Bentz has introduced the O&C Renewal Act of 2026, legislation aimed at reaffirming sustained timber production as the primary purpose of more than two million acres of Oregon & California lands in western Oregon.

Deschutes County is seeking volunteers to serve on the Deschutes County Fair Board, with three unpaid positions opening in March 2026. Applications are open to residents from across the county.

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Jan. 14 to consider proposed wildfire mitigation standards for new residential construction in unincorporated areas of the county.

Governor Tina Kotek has signed House Bill 3991, securing $300 million to maintain Oregon’s roads, bridges, and transit systems while preventing layoffs and updating how the state funds transportation.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced that full November SNAP benefits have been restored after a court order required the federal government to continue funding food assistance during the shutdown.

Governor Tina Kotek has allocated $1 million in emergency funds to Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes to combat food insecurity during the federal shutdown, which has disrupted SNAP benefits for families statewide.