Rachael McDonald

1 week ago | opb.org | Rachael McDonald

Oregon’s unemployment rate ticked up last month to 4.6%. According to the Oregon Employment Department, the rate has been rising gradually over the past year. It was 4.1% in March 2024. State Employment Economist Gail Krumenauer told KLCC at this point it’s still difficult to see the impacts of federal workforce reduction efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

1 week ago | klcc.org | Rachael McDonald

The Eugene Public Library is bracing for budget cuts as the City Council crafts a budget for next year. The city faces an $11.5 million deficit. The city tried to shore up that shortfall with a fire fee, but that is now going to voters, either in November or in a special election in August. Linda Ague, the president of the Friends of the Library, expects the library will be among the services the city will have to cut. “Dismal. Is there a word worse than dismal? Maybe. Whatever that word is,” she said.

1 week ago | klcc.org | Rachael McDonald

Blue River is still rebuilding from the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020. On April 5, the community held a block party to celebrate the progress. The Fire Station and health clinic have been rebuilt. The General Store is under construction with an opening date of Sept. 7, to coincide with the five year anniversary of the fire. A new, larger, O’Brien Memorial Library has its grand opening on Nov. 16, 2024. The previous one was completely destroyed by the fire.

2 weeks ago | klcc.org | Rachael McDonald

This weekend, a major literary event is taking place at the Lane Events Center in Eugene. The Friends of the Library Book Sale benefiting the Eugene Public Library has been an annual event since 1979. The organization says about 30,000 books will be for sale, many of them priced at $2 or less. Linda Ague is President of the Friends of the Library. She said this is their biggest fundraiser of the year. “A great occasion for people who love books and love to read to get together,” she said.

2 weeks ago | klcc.org | Rachael McDonald

Citing an expected budget deficit, Benton County announced a partial hiring freeze Friday. The county is drafting its budget for the next two years and has projected a shortfall. Benton County spokesperson Anne Thwaits said, like many other Oregon counties, they’re facing uncertainty because of what’s going on at the federal level– which also affects state funding.