Melorie Begay

A group of at least 100 protesters gathered at Peterson Park in Eugene on Monday in remembrance of Summer Taylor, who was killed during a hit and run at a protest in Seattle over the weekend. 

A Black Unity activist, Isiah Wagoner, was hit by a driver with a vehicle on Sunday during a children’s protest in Eugene. He was taken by medics and treated for non-life threatening injuries at a nearby hospital. The Eugene Police Department says they've detained the suspect involved in the incident.

Eugene city officials are weighing next steps after hearing demands from protesters to reduce or eliminate funding for police. Protesters have sent hundreds of emails, voiced concerns during city meetings, and some have shown up outside the homes of city officials.

Eugene City Councilors unanimously voted (8-0) to adopt the City Budget without any amendments Monday night. Councilors made the decision after facing heavy criticism from speakers who demanded the city reallocate police funds to other services. 

Eugene joined nationwide Juneteenth observations on Friday. An event hosted by the organization Black Unity saw hundreds of attendees who celebrated and learned about the holiday through, speakers, music, art, and food.

In a unanimous decision Monday evening, Eugene City Councilors voted to appoint Sarah Medary as City Manager. Medary has served in an interim role for the position since October 2019, following Jon Ruiz's retirement.

After both the City of Eugene and Lane County decided to close temporary emergency COVID-19 respite centers and camps, more than 100 protesters convened at a parking lot on Friday. 

Temporary COVID-19 homeless respite centers in Eugene and Springfield are expected to close when Lane County enters Phase Two of reopening. County officials are eyeing a June 5 end date. The City of Eugene will also shutdown their Designated Temporary Shelter Sites, but they'll wait until the county has been approved to enter Phase Two.

Eugene City Councilors took action on three housing ordinances Tuesday night. This includes the Downtown Riverfront redevelopment project, the Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption Program (MUPTE) and the Low-Income Rental Housing Property Tax Exemption (LIRHPTE).

In a unanimous decision, Eugene city councilors voted Tuesday night to adopt an ordinance condemning COVID-19 related bigotry aimed at people with Asian descent. Concurrently, the resolution recognizes May as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

The 2020 Primary Election for Eugene City Council has 13 candidates running for Wards 1, 2, 7 and 8. Two of these wards are open seats, as councilors Betty Taylor and Chris Pryor have chosen not to run again. Meanwhile, Wards 1 and 7 have councilors Emily Semple and Claire Syrett looking to retain their current positions.

As Lane County awaits Governor Kate Brown’s approval to enter Phase One of reopening, restaurants will see changes in food safety guidelines. Some eateries have already implemented many of the protocols the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has laid out.  

The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival is bringing its 17th annual series online for viewers this year. They’ve built their own video-on-demand platform to make it happen.

Lane County staff is drafting plans to reopen. County officials say once approved by Governor Kate Brown, reopening will likely occur in three phases over the course of several weeks.  

St. Vincent de Paul has re-opened two of their Eugene locations after in-store supplies have begun to dry up. The nonprofit says they’ve implemented a number of safety measures for customers and staff.

Lane County Public Health announced a second suspected death related to COVID-19, Friday morning. The 59-year-old Eugene-Springfield man had pre-existing medical conditions and was hospitalized for the virus.

Donations poured in during a community run drive for the Eugene 4J School District, last week. Food, cleaning supplies, and basic hygiene items were collected, which all went to students and their families. Another drive is set for Friday.

Federal loan programs were supposed to be a lifeline for small-businesses, but not all have received aid. For minority business owners, it only makes the road to full recovery steeper.

Limited COVID-19 testing has made it difficult for officials and healthcare providers to determine the actual number of positive cases in the state. Oregon State University and the Willamette Valley Toxicology Labratory are looking to provide answers on how prevalent the virus is, starting with Corvallis. On Sunday, they began testing individuals' self-collected samples in select neighborhoods.