House Bill 2508 will expand telehealth for communities all over Oregon, providing easy access to health care in uncertain times. The Oregon legislature has started their 2021 session and one of the upcoming bills, House Bill 2508 has the ability to expand students’ access to health care. HB 2508 would require Oregon Health Authority to…
Unemployment rates in the United States have been improving. 6.3 percent as of January 2021, in comparison to the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a historic 14.7 percent in April 2020. However, for many, the struggle is not over. In Oregon the homeless crisis has been a persistent issue. In Lane County alone pre-pandemic,…
Ruby McConnell may not be a woman written about in history books, but she is a woman making history today. The majority of wilderness survival guides are written by men from a male perspective. McConnell’s book, “A Woman’s Guide to the Wild,” is a guide to the outdoor’s from a woman’s perspective. McConnell highlights the…
Eugene, Oregon has about 432 homeless people for every 100,000 housed people, making it the city with the highest volume of homeless people per capita (Security.org, 2019.) Saint Vincent de Paul has been an advocate in the effort to aid people experiencing homelessness. Recently, SVdP teamed up with PeaceHealth hospitals to provide extended care for…
Six Lane County health care providers discussed plans concerning COVID-19 vaccination distribution in a remote city hall meeting on January 21, 2021. Vaccines are expected to reach Lane County by March after meeting the Food and Drug Administration’s requirements. Public health officials plan to allocate a limited supply of vaccines to healthcare workers, educators and…
Laura Greene, the Health Clinic Director at Lane Community College, has applied and been approved to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to students and employees. The timeline in which they will be distributing the vaccines is still in the works since the state is still in phase 1A of distribution, primary healthcare workers are receiving the first…
On Jan. 13, 2021, The Torch Editor-in-Chief Chandlor Henderson had a chance to sit with Lane Community College President Margaret Hamilton and Vice President Paul Jarrell. The main topic covered was Measure 20-306, which provided the school $121.5 million in bond money. Henderson: How did you become the president of the school? Hamilton: There’s a…
The Torch had an opportunity to interview via Zoom Dr. Robert Bullard. Bullard has been at the forefront of environmental justice for over 40 years. Where did you grow up? I grew up in South Alabama, in a small-town named Elba. It’s right on the bottom of the state, close to Florida. So what led…
During state wide Covid-19 regulations, warming centers are struggling to stay active. As the temperature drops the need for shelter is becoming a necessity for thousands of house-less individuals. There’s a small chance some may not be able to find shelter during this cold time. COVID-19 regulations have dramatically affected how these shelters and partnering…
City of Eugene puts up lights for holiday spirit. With Covid regulations in mind it is still possible to have a festive holiday season this year without gathering loved ones from arrayed households. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has provided extensive guidelines for gathering around the holidays, but ultimately urges folks to stay safe,…
