Karen Richards

5 days ago | klcc.org | Karen Richards

Eugene’s oldest city park is a favorite place to visit on Mother’s Day. Hendricks Park draws crowds because of the colorful blooms there in early May. Beth Copeland, a member of the Friends of Hendricks Park, said there are many colorful blooms right now, from ground-level native plants to rhododendrons (or "rhodies"), and a large clematis vine in a tree on the upper lawn. She told KLCC the park is accessible for Mother’s Day visitors.

6 days ago | opb.org | Karen Richards

Mountain meadow carpeted with wildflowers near the East Lostine River in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, Aug. 8, 2023. Grass pollen season typically runs from late May to July, but rain preceding that season can impact allergy sufferers. After a wet April, this year’s allergy season in the Willamette Valley seemed like it might be delayed. But now that we’ve had a few sunny weeks, some pollen counts are ahead of normal.

1 week ago | klcc.org | Karen Richards

After a wet April, this year’s allergy season in the Willamette Valley seemed like it might be delayed. But now that we've had a few sunny weeks, some pollen counts are ahead of normal. Pollen counts are in the moderate range this week for trees and grass, according to Dr. Kraig Jacobson with Oregon Allergy Associates. He said warm, dry weather has sped up deciduous tree development. “The tree pollens usually finish by the end of May and we're seeing them taper off pretty rapidly here," he said.

1 week ago | klcc.org | Karen Richards

Central Linn School District hasn’t passed a bond in nearly 30 years. District leaders said this spring’s $34 million initiative follows a volunteer-run community advisory committee’s recommendations. Located in Halsey, the district has an elementary school, and a junior and senior high school. Business Manager Celeste Van Cleave said the secondary school, in particular, is suffering. “We’re one infrastructure failure away from complete shutdown," she told KLCC.

1 week ago | klcc.org | Karen Richards

Voters in Junction City have a second chance to weigh in on a school bond measure this May. After voters turned down last spring’s $59 million bond, a committee asked for feedback and decided to reduce the scope of the measure. Junction City Superintendent Troy Stoops said, for example, if the 2024 bond was set to replace the HVAC system in a school, this year’s bond focuses on a portion of the building.