Road Closure: North Jetty Road (Florence) - 05/26/26

Road name: North Jetty Road

Location: Florence

Closure area: North Jetty Road is closed from Harbor Vista Road to the entrance of North Jetty Park

Dates and times: Full closure from Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, September 4

Reason for closure: Lane County is rebuilding the parking lots for North Jetty Park and the dive park along North Jetty Road

Alternative routes: None

###

Lane County Elections To Post Updated Election Results Today - 05/22/26

Due to higher turnout at Lane County drop boxes and the post office on Election Day (currently at 44.26%), Lane County Elections will be counting ballots and providing updated election results today, May 22, by 5pm.

The Notice of Election Results Posting Schedule on the Lane County Elections website has been updated.

Note that election results are unofficial until the election is certified, which is expected to take place by June 15. 

2026 Electronics Recycling Competition Breaks Record For Second-straight Year - 05/19/26

The 2026 Electronics Recycling Competition—a partnership between Waste Wise Lane County (Lane County Waste Management) and NextStep Recycling—has once again set a new benchmark for waste diversion in local schools. Following a record-breaking 2025 competition, participating schools surpassed expectations again this year.

Last year, 48 schools diverted 41,491 pounds of electronic waste from the landfill, an all-time high at the time. This year, between January and April, 46 schools collected an impressive 55,293 pounds of e-waste. That’s 13,802 pounds over 2025, marking a 33 percent increase in materials recovered.

Pleasant Hill Elementary led the pack as the top-collecting school, bringing in an impressive 7,677 pounds of electronic waste.

"NextStep is thrilled with the outstanding amount of e-waste collected for the 2026 Electronics Recycling Competition,” said NextStep Executive Director Jessica Ahrenholtz. “It is so wonderful to educate and inform our future generation about the importance of keeping electronic waste out of our landfills. Thank you to all of the participating schools and for the amazing support from our community."

The top two winners in each student enrollment division will receive:

• A $500 Lane County Waste Management sustainability grant (first place)
• A $250 Lane County Waste Management sustainability grant (second place)
• A NextStep Reuse Store computer gift certificate
• A special recognition award

For more information about the competition, including full results, or to learn how your school can participate in future years, visit wastewiselane.org/ERC.

Student enrollment divisions

0–300 students
(1) Triangle Lake Charter School: 5,088 lbs.

(2) Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion Elementary School: 1,877 lbs.

301–500 students
(1) Pleasant Hill Elementary School: 7,677 lbs.

(2) Siuslaw Middle School: 4,154 lbs.

501–700 students
(1) Meadow View School: 2,120 lbs.

(2) Junction City High School: 1,020 lbs.

701+ students
(1) Prairie Mountain School: 3,207 lbs.

(2) North Eugene High School: 991 lbs.

About Waste Wise Lane County

Waste Wise Lane County—a part of Lane County Waste Management—offers education, tools, and resources that residents, schools, and businesses can use to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. Learn more at lanecountyor.gov/wastewise.

About NextStep Recycling

The mission at NextStep Recycling is to provide technology and training to children and adults with barriers to employment and education while protecting the environment and community from hazardous waste. Visit NextStep's Recycling & Donation Center (245 Jackson St., Eugene), NextStep's ReUse Store (987 Garfield St., Eugene) and the UO/NextStep Surplus Store (547 Q St., Springfield). Learn more at nextsteprecycling.org. 

###

Election Results Available Starting At 8:00 P.m. On Election Day - 05/18/26

Election results will be made available to the public starting at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, May 19, and updated throughout the evening. Elections results can be obtained at:

 www.LaneCountyOR.gov/Elections

Ballots returned by mail and postmarked by May 19 must be received by May 26 in order to be counted. Ballots returned via mail and postmarked by May 19 may take several days to arrive at Lane County Elections, which means that the outcome of some races or ballot measures may not be known as quickly as in past elections. The Lane County Elections Office will continue to periodically update election results after May 19 until all ballots have been counted. The full results reporting schedule is available online at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/Elections.

Election results will be certified on June 25, 2026.

Voters with questions can email elections@lanecountyor.gov or call 541-682-4234.

About the Lane County Elections Office:

The Elections Office, located at 275 W. 10^th Avenue in Eugene, is responsible for conducting elections in Lane County.  The Elections Office manages voter registration, the processing of mail ballots, recruitment and training of election workers, and certification of elections.

###

Marcola Road And Clear Lake Road Safety Corridors Effective May 25, 2026 – May 25, 2028 - 05/18/26

Lane County has designated Marcola Road and Clear Lake Road as Safety Corridors, which doubles traffic fines, to reduce the number of people killed and injured due to impaired driving and excessive speeding. The designation on Marcola Road is from Hayden Bridge to Parsons Creek Road. The designation on Clear Lake Road is from Territorial Highway to Green Hill Road. The doubled fines will be effective May 25, 2026, through May 25, 2028.

In recent years, multiple people have been killed and seriously injured in traffic crashes on Marcola Road and Clear Lake Road. Most of those crashes involved excessive speed or driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (DUII). Increased fines are intended to deter people from violating traffic laws.

One of Lane County’s top priorities is to ensure people can get where they’re going safely on County-maintained roads. That’s why, when the state established a pilot program to test safety corridors aimed at improving rural traffic safety, Lane County was one of two counties in Oregon that chose to participate. The London Road Safety Corridor pilot program was a success: from 2021 to 2023, fatal and serious injury crashes were significantly reduced, demonstrating that doubled traffic fines, coupled with road signs and outreach, can save lives.

Based on the success of the London Road Safety Corridor, the Oregon Legislature amended state law (House Bill 2154) in 2025 to enable counties to designate up to two safety corridors at a time. Previously, the safety corridor designation was only available to state highways. The new law became effective January 1, 2026.

On February 10, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners approved a permanent Lane County Safety Corridor program, consistent with the new law. County roads with two or more fatal or serious injury crashes within the last five years are now eligible for safety corridor designation. Active safety corridors will have “Safety Corridor / Fines Double” signs. After two years, the signs will be moved to two other roads with high rates of fatal and serious injury crashes, and new signs saying “Our Community Values Safe Driving” will be installed to replace the safety corridor signs. The goal is to rotate the Safety Corridors every two years to roads with the most fatal and serious injury crashes.

We need everyone to make safety a priority. To prevent speeding, please plan travel times realistically. Traveling at lower speeds makes the roads safer for our friends and family. To prevent driving under the influence, coordinate with friends and family to designate a sober driver. We all want to get home safely. Together, we can prevent traffic crashes.

For more information, visit LaneCountyOR.gov/TowardZeroDeaths

###

Lane County Ranks No. 1 On List Of Oregon’s Healthiest Employers For Sixth Year In A Row (Photo) - 05/14/26

Lane County has been recognized as the #1 healthiest employer in Oregon (1500-4999 employees) for the sixth year in a row by the Portland Business Journal.

This recognition reflects Lane County’s deep, long-standing commitment to supporting the health, well-being, and resilience of its workforce. The County’s wellness strategy is comprehensive and forward-thinking, offering high‑value benefits that promote physical fitness, mental health, financial stability, and chronic disease prevention for employees and their families.

These wellness investments also help manage taxpayer costs by reducing the likelihood of high‑cost medical claims. For example, access to and encouragement for screening can help catch cancers early, when treatment is less invasive, more effective, and significantly less expensive.

“This award is a testament to the employees and their families who actively engage in their well‑being and help sustain Lane County’s culture of health,” said County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky. “We are proud to consistently rank at or near the top of employers across Oregon and will continue to invest in our employees, while seeking to steward taxpayer resources.”

In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Lane County was ranked third healthiest large employer in Oregon, and in 2018 was listed within the top 100 healthiest employers nationally. In 2020, Lane County was ranked second healthiest larger employer. In 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, Lane County was ranked the #1 healthiest larger employer and in 2022 was listed sixth on the healthiest 100 workplaces in America.

Employers are ranked on six categories which include: culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communication and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics. There are five employer size categories: small (2-99 employees), medium (100-499), large (500-1499), larger (1500-4999), and largest (5000+).

See the announcement from Portland Business Journal.

###

Lane County Parks Invites Community To Celebrate National Public Works Week With Park Tours - 05/11/26

Lane County Parks invites the community to celebrate National Public Works Week in May with a series of short, guided park tours. Each tour runs from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and offers a look at current projects, planned improvements, and how park levy funds are being used.

Public Works Week recognizes the essential role public works staff play in keeping parks safe, functional, and accessible. From maintaining infrastructure to stewarding natural areas, their work touches daily life in meaningful ways.

During the week, Lane County Parks staff will lead tours at four locations - Harbor Vista, Armitage Park, Howard Buford Recreation Area (HBRA), and Blue Mountain Park - sharing updates on improvements, upcoming projects, and how park levy funds are being put to work.

Tour Schedule:

• Monday, May 18 – Harbor Vista Park in Florence
  Explore camping areas, cabins, and day-use spaces while learning about recent and upcoming improvements, including a completed restroom remodel, new hiker/biker campsites, and planned parking lot paving at the North Jetty.
• Tuesday, May 19 – Armitage Park & Campground in Eugene
  Walk through some of the park’s most-used areas, including the boat launch, trails, and dog park. Hear about recent upgrades and ongoing work to improve the dog park and traffic flow.
• Thursday, May 21 – Howard Buford Recreation Area (HBRA), East Trailhead near Pleasant Hill  
  Take a guided walk through areas shaped by prescribed fire. Learn how fire supports healthy ecosystems and see firsthand how the landscape responds to these management practices.
• Friday, May 22 – Blue Mountain Park outside Cottage Grove, OR
  Visit this lesser-known park outside Cottage Grove along Mosby Creek. The tour will highlight day-use areas, recent improvements to picnic amenities and parking, and ongoing fuels reduction work that supports long-term park health.

“These tours are an opportunity to connect the community with the work happening in their parks and to hear what parks mean to them,” said Lane County Parks Communications Coordinator Laura Linn.

Community members are encouraged to attend one or more tours to learn more about the parks they enjoy and the work that goes into maintaining them.

For more information contact Laura Linn, communications and volunteer coordinator with Lane County Parks, at Laura.linn@lanecountyor.gov or 541-682-3492.

###

Lane County Voters: Remember To Sign The Return Envelope And Return Your Ballots Early - 05/11/26

Voters are urged to return their ballots as early as possible to ensure they are received at Lane County Elections by the 8:00 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, May 19.

In order to be counted, ballots must be received at Lane County Elections by:

• Regular mail. Ballots must be postmarked no later than May 19, 2026 and received no later than May 26, 2026 to be counted. USPS recommends putting a ballot in the mail seven days before the election or getting a manual hand-stamp postmark at the service counter of local post offices.
• A 24/7 County ballot drop box by 8:00 p.m. on May 19. Help save taxpayer dollars by avoiding the postage and using a drop box, managed directly by Lane County Elections.
• Lane County Elections. Ballots can be turned in by May 19, 2026 directly to the Lane County Elections Office during business hours (open until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day).

“In Oregon we have three great ways for voters to return ballots and have really focused on maximizing convenience and reducing barriers for voters,” said Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong. “As long as voters are aware of the ballot return deadlines, they can ensure their ballots are received in time to ensure their votes are counted.”

Voters must also remember to sign their ballot return envelopes before mailing or returning their completed ballot to Lane County Elections.

The signature is a security measure used to verify identity. Signatures are compared to those in the voter registration record. A ballot may only be counted if the signatures match.

If you forget to sign the envelope or your signature does not match, you will receive a notice from Lane County Elections advising you of the issue and how to fix or “cure” it. You have until the 21^st day after the election to cure your signature issue and have your ballot counted.

What can you do to ensure your signature matches?

1. Sign your natural signature. If you don’t usually sign with a middle initial don’t sign your ballot envelope with it.  Election workers are trained to look for specific characteristics within each signature. If you think your signature has changed significantly, contact Lane County Elections.
2. Don’t sign another person’s name. Even if someone gives you permission to sign, or you have power of attorney, it is against the law in Oregon to sign another person’s name on a return envelope. It’s forgery.
3. Request help if you have difficulty signing.  If it is difficult for you to sign, on either a temporary or permanent basis, you can complete a signature attestation form and return it to Lane County Elections.  Completing this step will allow you to use a signature stamp or other indicator that represents your signature.  
4. Correct a mistake if you accidentally sign your name on someone in your household’s envelope. If you and another person in your household sign each other’s return ballot envelopes, simply place a line through the incorrect signatures and sign the correct envelopes.  

Voters with questions can email elections@LaneCountyOR.gov or call 541-682-4234.

About the Lane County Elections Office:

The Elections Office, located at 275 W. 10^th Avenue in Eugene, is responsible for conducting elections in Lane County.  The Elections Office manages voter registration, the processing of mail ballots, recruitment and training of election workers, and certification of elections.

###

PARTIAL ROAD CLOSURE: Divsion Avenue-River Avenue Connector (Photo) - 05/11/26

Road name: Divsion Avenue-River Avenue Connector

Location: Under Beltline Highway east of the River Road exit (see attached photo)

Date and time: Sunday, May 17, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Alternate route: Westbound Beltline Highway off-ramp to Division Avenue 

Reason for closure: Guardrail repair 

###

ROAD CLOSURE: Deadwood Covered Bridge - 05/11/26

Road name: Deadwood Loop Road

Location: At Deadwood Covered Bridge

Dates and times: Monday, May 18, through Wednesday, July 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday--Thursday during the closure period. The bridge will reopen in the evenings and on weekends. 

Alternate route: Deadwood Creek Road

Reason for closure: Bridge painting

###

Lane County’s Proposed Budget Preserves Public Services Amid Reduction - 05/06/26

The proposed Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget for Lane County is balanced in a way that preserves critical services and makes the most of the limited financial resources available.

“Sixty percent of Lane County’s budget has historically come from state or federal funding sources,” said Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky. “As those revenues continue to shrink, and we face our perpetual challenge of one of the lowest permanent property tax rates in Oregon, we are seeing that percentage decrease which puts at risk our ability to offer a wide array of high-quality services to our community. As we worked to put together this year’s proposed budget, we conducted a thorough and thoughtful process to identify cost reductions and revenue enhancements that balance the budget while maintaining core services.”

Lane County’s budget is made up of 34 distinct funds, many of which are restricted to specific services by law. Lane County’s General Fund, which is where general property taxes are held, is the most flexible fund and nearly 76 percent of it goes to fund public safety with the remainder supporting other public health, human services and general government services. The proposed budget is balanced but does include the reduction of 15 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions across several departments and funds. Nine of those positions are currently filled. There are no reductions in services or positions in the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, or Assessment & Taxation.

The proposed budget includes using $4.8 million in unallocated Transient Loding Tax reserves to fund the current level of rural Sheriff’s Office patrol for the next two years while the County works to identify a long-term funding solution for the Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s offices. Without this funding, rural residents, visitors and tourists would experience a drop in patrol services starting in July. Transient Loding Tax (TLT) is collected from people who rent hotel or motel rooms or vacation rentals in Lane County.  A recent legislative change now allows local governments to use up to half of TLT enacted since 2003 for non-tourism uses.

“We believe that allocating a portion of unallocated TLT to support underfunded public safety is prudent, given the options available to us,” said Mokrohisky. “We respect the concerns expressed by our tourism partners and I hope they can respect the balancing act that we are managing with regard to our public safety funding challenges in Lane County.”

Lane County has not reduced the amount of TLT to be used for tourism-related activities in the proposed budget. More than $11.4 million, including projected increased funding for Travel Lane County for tourism marketing, will be used to support tourism across Lane County. Tourism plays an important role in Lane County’s economy.

Read the County Administrator’s Budget Message.

Read the full proposed budget document.

The Budget Committee, which is comprised of five appointed residents and the five county commissioners, began its review of the proposed budget with a meeting and public hearing on May 5. A video recording of the proposed budget presentation and public hearing is available online.

The Budget Committee will meet multiple times during the next two weeks to receive information from County departments.

• Tuesday, May 12, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 13, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
• Thursday, May 14, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

The Budget Committee will have the opportunity to approve the proposed budget and any recommended changes on May 20 at 5:30 p.m. Public Comment will also be received at that meeting. Written public comment can be submitted to the Budget Committee at LCGABUPL@lanecountyor.gov.

The Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget will appear before the Board of County Commissioners for adoption in late June.

All meetings are broadcast live on Metro TV (Comcast Cable channel 21). Meetings can also be watched live online at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/webcasts.

###

2026 Primary Election Ballots In The Mail - 05/01/26

The Lane County Elections office has placed ballots in the USPS mail stream for the 2026 Primary Election.

Lane County’s 21 ballot drop boxes will remain open until 8:00 pm on Election Day, May 19, 2026.  Drop boxes are open 24/7. A list of drop box locations is included with every ballot.

“We are excited to announce that ballots for the Primary Election are in the mail,” said Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong. “And Lane County Elections is ready to assist voters who have questions or need assistance making sure their ballots are cast.”

Voters can track the status of their mail ballot by visiting www.oregonvotes.gov/MyVote.

Voters may return their voted ballots in one of the following ways:

• Regular mail. Ballots must be postmarked no later than May 19, 2026 and received no later than May 26, 2026 to be counted.
• A 24/7 ballot drop box.
• Lane County Elections. Ballots can be turned in by May 19, 2026 directly to the Lane County Elections Office during business hours (open until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day).

Ballot drop box locations can be found online at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/elections.  

As a reminder, Oregon is a closed primary state. All voters will have an opportunity to vote on issues and nonpartisan positions. Only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for their respective party’s candidates in a primary election.

Voters with questions can email elections@lanecountyor.gov or call 541-682-4234.

About the Lane County Elections Office:

The Elections Office, located at 275 W. 10^th Avenue in Eugene, is responsible for conducting elections in Lane County.  The elections office manages voter registration, the processing of mail ballots, recruitment and training of election workers, and certification of elections.

###

Annual Test For Subscribers Of Lane County’s Local Emergency Alert System On Thursday, May 14 At Noon - 04/30/26

Lane County Emergency Management will test the subscriber-based local emergency alert system – Lane Alerts – on Thursday, May 14, at 12:00 p.m. The test will include emails, recorded voice calls and text messages depending upon each subscriber’s provided contact information.

“Our annual Lane Alerts test is an important part of making sure our community is ready and able to receive critical alerts in the event of an emergency,” said Lane County Emergency Manager Monica Larcom. “We hope every resident in Lane County chooses to sign up and participate in the Lane Alerts system. It’s the first tool responders request when there is an urgent need to share life-safety information with large numbers of community members. Testing Lane Alerts during National Wildfire Awareness Month helps us all keep wildfire preparedness in mind as we head into fire season.” 

Residents should go to www.LaneAlerts.org to create a free Lane Alerts account and select where and how they would like to receive emergency alerts.

Lane Alerts allows people to opt-in to receive notifications via phone call, text message and email based on locations they care about. At minimum, people signing up must provide their name and one method of contact. Residents can provide multiple addresses to receive notifications about emergency events that may affect their home, workplace, child’s school, etc. The types of emergencies that people may receive alerts about include evacuations, severe weather, flooding, police activity, and more.

Residents who already have a Lane Alerts account, but who haven’t logged in recently, will need to update their account to Everbridge Community the next time they log in. Everbridge is the company behind Lane Alerts. This new feature allows users who have multiple profiles to manage them all with one log-in. (An example of someone who might have multiple profiles is a person who lives in Linn County but works in Lane County. That person could have signed up to receive location-based emergency alerts at work and at home that would have originally required two separate accounts.) As part of the update, users will create a new Everbridge Community log-in and follow prompts to link existing accounts, including their Lane Alerts account. Everbridge has detailed instructions for converting to Everbridge Community available.

More about Lane Alerts:

When will Lane Alerts be used?
Lane Alerts will be used to notify people about imminent threats to their safety, as well as informational notifications that affect locations they choose to include in their profile.

Who should sign up for Lane Alerts?
Everyone living or working in Lane County should sign up for Lane Alerts. 

Should everyone in my household have their own Lane Alerts profile?
Yes. If multiple household members need to be notified, each person should have their own profile.

Will I still get emergency notifications if I don't sign up?
There are multiple types of emergency alerts. Some do not require residents to sign up, including landline phone calls or alerts that appear on television screens and radio broadcasts. Signing up for Lane Alerts will provide emergency responders with more and better ways to reach people with emergency information, including text messages.

Learn more about the different types of emergency alerts by watching a short video.
 

Lane Alerts partner agencies include Lane County Emergency Management, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, and Central Lane Communications Center.

The system is powered by the State of Oregon’s OR-Alert program and Everbridge. Learn more about OR-Alert at www.oralert.gov. 

###