Archives

August 6, 2024 - Man Who Negotiated Guns-for-Drugs Trade Sentenced

By Oregon U.S. Attorney Office Press Release, EUGENE, Ore.—A Lane County, Oregon man who negotiated the trade of methamphetamine for 17 firearms was sentenced to federal prison. Mark Villanueva, 38, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in August 2020, […]


August 5, 2024 - Business stresses 4 ideas on drug deflection

By Portland Metro Chamber, On July 11, the Portland Metro Chamber testified to express concerns for the implementation of Multnomah County’s drug addiction and deflection system. Jay Clark, director of Public Affairs, stressed that the Chamber supported HB 4002, which provided $25 million in state funding for a regional 24/7 […]


August 1, 2024 - Retail: Modest gains, uneven

By National Retail Federation Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows modest retail sales gains in June despite an uneven pace of spending in recent months, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “The path of household spending remains difficult to read,” Kleinhenz said. “Spending has been uneven […]


July 31, 2024 - What You Need to Know About the DOL Overtime Rule

By Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, The first increase in the DOL Overtime Final Rule is scheduled to take effect July 1 and increases the salary threshold to determine whether employees are exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Provisions include: Standard Salary Threshold Increase: Effective […]


July 29, 2024 - Most workers are giving up vacation

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, Nearly 60 percent of Americans struggle to vacation without checking work emails and working, according to a survey of 2,000 people by Movchan Agency. Although only 54 percent said they worked on vacation—down from nearly two-thirds in previous years—the numbers still indicate many workers […]


July 25, 2024 - Businesses struggle to find qualified workers

By NFIB, WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 4, 2024) – NFIB’s June jobs report found solid employment hiring plans among small business owners, but overall unsuccessful attempts to hire additional workers. A seasonally adjusted 37% of all small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in their current period, down […]


July 24, 2024 - DEQ Seeks to Rush Unworkable Recycling Rules into Effect

By Oregon Business and Industry The effort to develop rules for Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act continues to falter even as its operational date – July 1, 2025 – approaches. OBI has consistently pointed out problems with the program to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which is developing rules, […]


July 23, 2024 - Prison sentence for social media co-worker threat

By Oregon U.S. Attorney Office Press Release, A Cottage Grove, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison for threatening violence against her coworkers on Facebook. Elizabeth Ballestros West, 56, was sentenced to six months and three weeks in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in […]


July 22, 2024 - Oregon misses tech hand-outs

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation The Biden administration will divide $504 million among a dozen tech hubs throughout the country, but two Oregon State University hubs failed to make the cut. The money authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act aims to boost tech hubs outside traditional areas such […]


July 17, 2024 - Man faces charges for attack on two energy facilities

Washington State Man Faces Federal Charges for Damaging Two Portland Area Energy Facilities A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging a Tacoma, Washington, man with damaging two Portland area energy facilities. By Oregon U.S. Attorney Press Release, Zachary Rosenthal, 33, has been charged with three counts […]