Melorie Begay

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement says they will step up efforts to deport undocumented immigrant families. Those families are likely to live in major U.S. cities who've been given orders for removal. 

The Refugee Resettlement Coalition of Lane County will observe World Refugee Day for the 3rd year in a row. The organization will focus on the growing number of asylum seekers at the southern U.S. Border.

The Long Tom Watershed Council designed a new welcome road sign along Highway 126. It recognizes the area as Indigenous homelands.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is opening a new exhibit this weekend featuring an Iranian woman who does environmental advocacy through art. 

Public comment on a proposal for a Eugene company to bolster cleanup efforts on historic spills, ends Friday. The Department of Environmental Quality wants to mitigate any risk of further contamination.

Multiple swastikas were painted on sidewalks, benches, poles-- and one downtown Eugene business, Wednesday morning. The Eugene Police Department is currently investigating the rash of hate-speech graffiti. 

The University of Oregon awarded 200 students with a Global Seal of Biliteracy, last week. The certification is the first time the university offered the program with the help of a Eugene company. 

One of Eugene’s first African American residents has been honored with a mural. The artwork compliments other historical markers where Wiley Griffon lived, worked, and was eventually interred. 

The 2020 Census could undercount up to 32,000 minorities in Oregon, according to the nonpartisan think tank, Urban Institute. Latino and Hispanic populations are most at risk, fueling criticisms over the addition of a citizenship question. 

With the University of Oregon’s new $3 million Black Cultural Center set to open this fall, the question remains…what to name it? 

Homelessness in Lane County continues to rise, according to the latest Point-In-Time Count. The annual tally took place in January, it’s meant to give an estimate of how many people are living without homes.

Online native American students at Oregon State University are getting extra support from the institution to increase enrollment and graduation rates. Help will come through success coaches and community building for remote students.

Lincoln County Board of Commissioners has approved funds to buy a vacant house in an effort to reduce recidivism in Newport. The home will provide stable housing for men at risk of homelessness after serving time.

This week, University of Oregon students and faculty protested the Pioneer statue on its 100 year anniversary. KLCC’s Melorie Begay sat down with Marc Carpenter, who studies U.S. and Indigenous History at UO, to learn more about the artist behind the monument. 

A Eugene man who threatened parishioners at St. Mary Catholic Church last year, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. He was charged with obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs and unlawful possession of ammunition.

On the 100 year anniversary of the University of Oregon’s Pioneer statue, dozens of students and faculty called for its removal. As KLCC’s Melorie Begay reports, they see it as memorializing colonial violence.

A New York-based slam poet is coming to Lane Community College in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The award-winning performer Kit Yan will present their one-person theatre show “Queer Heartache.”

About 60 people gathered in the LCC Longhouse recently for a community conversation. KLCC reporters Brian Bull and Karen Richards wrapped up their yearlong “Native Voices” series by holding a discussion with Oregon Tribal representatives and educators on issues related a sense of belonging.

Hate and Bias incidents in Eugene fell 42 percent last year according to the latest annual report by the city. The report suggests there are several factors behind the decline.

Local emergency first responders partnered with mental health and homeless advocates to build a temporary housing hut in downtown Eugene.  Police Chief Chris Skinner says this is an example of 21st century policing.

A local nonprofit is building one of the Lane County’s first fully accessible park for kids with disabilities. The organization says the want the ADA compliant playground to be an inclusive environment.

A former educator is diving into the Eugene tech field to change how teachers address bias in classrooms. Her virtual reality program could help decrease student suspensions. 

Over 200 educators from across the state attended the 42nd annual Oregon Indian Education Association Conference at the University of Oregon. This year’s theme was “Creating Space for Indigenous Education.”

Lane Community College held a vigil Wednesday night celebrating the life of Alex Oyombe Gradin. Gradin was fatally shot Saturday Morning behind Taylor’s Bar and Grill in Eugene. 

For the past 20 years a local nonprofit has helped Lane County immigrants find support and build community through gardening. KLCC’s Melorie Begay caught up with one family that cooks with food they grow as a way to keep their culture alive.

Middle school girls interested in STEM careers will get an extra boost in support from the University of Oregon, thanks to a national science grant. The money will go toward after school programs in the 4J school district.

A Spanish language newspaper launched its first edition in Lane County this month. The newspaper's goal is to bridge the information gap in the Latino community.  

An ordinance that would have fined motorists for giving or accepting items from pedestrians on the roadside was rejected by the Eugene City Council.