News from around Lane County: New EV charging ports, street closures, workshops and more
Federal funding announced for EV charging ports at Eugene courthouse
The U.S General Services Administration announced Tuesday the allocation of $25 million in funding for electrical vehicle supply equipment, or EV charging ports, to be located at federal buildings nationwide.
This injection of funds hopes to bring four EV charging ports to the Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse in Eugene. The funding is planned to be spent through the Inflation Reduction Act and comes as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
This funding supports the implementation of 782 EV charging ports across 21 states. These additional ports are intended to bolster the network of chargers available for the federal government’s EV fleet while transitioning the federal fleet and the overall market toward EVs, according to Robin Carnahan, administrator of the General Services Administration.
“Investments like these help us get a triple win by creating more jobs in the green economy, saving taxpayer dollars through increased efficiency of federal operations and creating healthier communities all across the country,” Carnahan said in a press release.
President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan requires federal agencies to acquire 100% light-duty zero-emission vehicles annually by 2027 and 100% medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The General Services Administration estimates these investments could reduce annual carbon emissions by 1,472 metric tons.
-Hannarose McGuinness
Deadline extended for county 'I voted' coloring contest
The deadline for Lane County students to submit "I voted" coloring page entries for the county's contest has been extended to August 1.
Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson explained the new contest as a way to replicate the spirit of "I voted" stickers that are given out in states with in-person voting. Students can submit voting-themed art on a white background with black outlines, and county elections staff will select a winner from each age group (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, college/vocational) that will be mailed as a coloring page to voters along with their ballots for the Nov. 5 election.
Dawson said the county extended the deadline, which was originally April 1, because of a lack of applications. Drawings must be submitted alongside the entry page available online at www.lanecountyor.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3585881&pageId=20063879 and can be submitted over email to elections@lanecountyor.gov or physical mail or dropped off in-person at 275 W 10th Ave. Eugene, OR 97401.
-Alan Torres
Lane County seeks volunteers for trauma intervention program
Trauma Intervention Programs of Lane County is looking for volunteers responsible for ensuring people who are emotionally traumatized in emergencies receive the immediate assistance they need.
TIP volunteers are often called by law enforcement, fire and medical personnel to respond to scenes of sudden or unexpected death, industrial accidents, sexual assaults, overdoses, violent crime and other traumatic incidents to provide immediate emotional and practical support to families, friends, witnesses and survivors.
Lane County is looking for a diverse group of volunteers who can pass a background check and are interested in helping provide needed support alongside first responders.
Residents interested in volunteering can attend spring training opportunities dubbed the TIP Training Academy at Eugene Police Department located at 300 Country Club Road in Eugene.
For more information and Academy training times, visit https://www.tiplanecounty.org/.
-Haleigh Kochanski
Springfield Public Library scheduled to host workshop on bookbinding and repairs
Springfield Public Library is hosting a free crafting program for adults to learn how books are put together and repaired when they fall apart.
Sophia Bogle is an expert book restorer who will introduce you to the tools and materials used for archival book repair and restoration.
Participants will have the chance to bind an easy pamphlet-stitch book.
The “Springstitsch: Book Repair and Book Binding with Sophia Bogle” event will begin at the Library Meeting Room at Springfield Public Library, address 225 5th Street, at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
-Haleigh Kochanski
Oregon Community Trees to host urban forestry conference in Eugene, in need of poster presenters
Oregon Community Trees in Eugene is asking students and organizations to submit abstracts on case studies or research to present as a poster presentation for this year's Oregon Urban Forestry conference theme "More Housing, More Trees: Giving Oregonians Both."
The conference is co-sponsored by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service, which is being held at Venue 252 in Eugene on Thursday, June 27.
According to the Department of Forestry, presentations can be about successes in preserving large, healthy shade trees or room to plant them on residential or commercial properties that were developed or redeveloped with an increased density level.
Presentations can also be about methods of tree preservation during periods of construction, ideas for redesigning streets and right-of-way planting strips to make room for larger trees.
For your presentation to be considered, the Department of Forestry says applicants must be able to attend the conference and answer questions for people visiting the poster display. Discount tickets for students are available for $80, which includes lunch. Scholarships are available for those with financial need.
Poster presenters can go online at oregoncommunitytrees.org to register and get information about the conference and presentations. Application forms should be submitted no later than Friday, May 17 by 5 p.m.
-Haleigh Kochanski
Eugene to close Northbound Chambers Street on April 1
Eugene Public Works announced the northbound lanes of Chambers Street will be closed for roadwork between 18th and 24th Avenues beginning April 1.
A detour will move northbound traffic east on 24th Ave., north on Polk Street, west on 18th Ave. and north on Chambers Street.
The contractor, Riverbend Construction Inc. has completed all utility work and intersection reconstruction in the area and will be executing final milling and pavement work throughout the week.
Members of the community are advised to plan alternate routes to avoid the construction work.
-Haleigh Kochanski
Lane County bringing back equity advisory board, seeking applicants
Lane County announced this week that it is seeking applications for its returning Equity Program Advisory Board. The board will meet at least quarterly and be charged with carrying out the County’s 2024-27 Equity Strategic Plan.
The advisory group “will have a role in prioritizing the work included in the plan, as well as assist with refining some of the larger goals into actionable steps,” county spokesperson Devon Ashbridge told the Register-Guard.
That plan is currently being developed by county equity staff with help from an internal committee that represents the different departments and community partners and will be available before the advisory board starts meeting Ashbridge said.
Applications are due at 5 p.m. April 8, and can be accessed online at https://www.cognitoforms.com/LaneCountyOR/EquityProgramAdvisoryBoardInterestForm
-Alan Torres
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: News from around Lane County: New EV charging ports, workshops, more
