Salem-News.com Oregon State University articles

Former Assistant Football Coach Jerry Long Dies

Jerry Long spent over a decade in athletic administration prior to retiring in 1990, working in the areas of fundraising, event management and booster club development.

(LOS ANGELES) - Jerry Long, assistant football coach for Ted Ogdahl from 1955-1960, died Wednesday at the age of 79. Coach Long served as an assistant football coach at Oregon State and UCLA and also spent over a decade in athletic administration at UCLA. Long, who had been in a hospice for several months, died from a heart attack with his wife Dorothy at his side.

Jerry Long played football at Oregon State, earning three letters as a guard and graduating in 1950. After five years as a high school coach, he spent six years as an assistant at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

Plan Now for Oregon`s Civil War Game Festivities

Police remind fans to "Leave early, be patient, keep your emotions in check, buckle up and keep a sober driver behind the wheel at all times."

(SALEM, Ore.) - In preparation for this Saturday's highly anticipated in-state ‘Civil War' football game in Corvallis, law enforcement and highway officials emphasize the importance of having a 'game plan' no matter where you are traveling.

"This is a historic game for which the battle should be played between the lines on the football field, not in the lanes of all roads leading to and from Corvallis."

"Just like coaches who stress the importance of playing smart and in control, we can't emphasize enough the importance of being smart and under control when driving," said Oregon State Police (OSP) Superintendent Timothy McLain.

New Law Would Legalize Marijuana in Oregon

Can an antiquated law from 1937 called the "Marihuana Tax Act" finally be turned around? Those guiding the passage of this new Oregon law will put the credibility and effectiveness of the 1937 legislation to the test.

(SALEM, Ore.) - A proposed law for Oregon would radically alter the availability of marijuana for adults, by allowing the herb to be purchased in liquor stores. The Oregonians For Cannabis Reform 2010, say the Cannabis Tax Act would make cannabis products legal and available in a retail environment. Proponents say it will mean millions and millions of dollars for Oregon's state coffers and many predict that the move would literally salvage the state's unstable economy.

Backers of this Initiative say their plan would send 90 percent of the proceeds from the state's sale of marijuana to Oregon's General Fund, which could lower the state tax burden significantly. Portions of the revenue would be used to fund drug abuse education and treatment programs

Oregon State Launches Largest Financial Aid Initiative

Awards will be based on financial need and students’ ability to show satisfactory progress toward completion of degrees, including taking 15 credits each term.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Oregon State University leaders have announced a new financial aid initiative that in its first school year, 2008-09, will enable a full 10 percent of the Oregonian students who attend OSU to do so free of charge.

The Bridge to Success Program will pool federal resources with funds from the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the Campaign for OSU and redirected institutional monies to cover all tuition and fee costs for 1,500 in-state students this fall.

Chelsea Clinton to Visit Oregon State University on Saturday

Chelsea will also address Oregon Democrats at their convention Saturday at 1:15 PM in Eugene.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Chelsea Clinton is coming to Oregon this weekend.

The former first daughter will visit Oregon State University on Saturday on behalf of her mother, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton. Chelsea will speak from 3:30 to 5:00 PM in the Memorial Union Lounge.

A recent SurveyUSA poll for Oregon has Barack Obama leading Hillary Clinton, 52% to 42%.

Roseburg to Host OSU Workshop for Winemakers

Douglas County is an emerging wine producing region, known to vintners and wine lovers alike as the Umpqua Valley AVA.

(ROSEBURG, Ore.) - Oregon State University Extension enologist James Osborne will offer a day-long workshop, "When Good Wine Goes Bad – A One-Day Workshop on the Microbial Spoilage of Wine," on Wednesday, April 23, in Roseburg.

In the workshop, Osborne will discuss the various microorganisms present during the winemaking process that can cause wine to spoil. He will lead participants in a series of wine tastings to illustrate specific spoilage issues and associated taints in wine.

Activist, Author to Speak on Situation in Darfur

For more than 20 years, Prendergast has worked to combat genocide and human rights abuses, with a focus on Africa.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Noted human rights activist and author John Prendergast will give a free public lecture at Oregon State University on Friday, that will examine human rights abuse in Darfur.

His free public talk, “Darfur and Beyond: What We Can Do to Confront the Human Rights Crisis in Africa,” begins at 7:00 p.m. in Austin Auditorium of the LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus. The center is located at 26th Street and Western Boulevard in Corvallis.

Microbiologists Discover New Parasite Killing Ducks, Other Species

Myxozoa are a group of microscopic, parasitic animals that live in marine and freshwater aquatic habitats, and one or more species are found in virtually all fish.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - Microbiologists at Oregon State University have discovered a new species of “myxozoan” parasite that has been found for the first time to infect a warm blooded animal – in this case, ducks - after evolving from its relatives that are common in cold-blooded fish and aquatic worms.

It’s unclear how long this parasite has existed or how much of a problem it may ultimately cause, but so far it has only been found in a few places in the United States, experts say. The findings were just reported in the International Journal for Parasitology, and raise concerns not only about the new parasite but about others that may become more widespread, cause more health problems or possibly even move into new species as a result of global warming and climate change.

Western States Facing Waterways Inundated with Non-Native Fish, Amphibians

The most widespread non-native species were brook, rainbow and brown trout, which were found in 14-17 percent of the streams surveyed.

(CORVALLIS, Ore. ) - A new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that more than half of the stream and river miles surveyed in 12 western states contained non-native fish and amphibians.

Oregon and Washington had fewer non-native species, yet 20-21 percent of the stream miles in the Pacific Northwest still had fish or amphibians that were not present when Lewis and Clark first explored the region.

Study Links Preschool Behavior to Academic Success

Results found that every seven-point increase in behavioral regulation over the school year predicted between three weeks and 2.8 months of learning gains in vocabulary, math and literacy.

(CORVALLIS, Ore.) - A study by an Oregon State University faculty member shows that preschool age children who do not master basic self-regulation skills such as paying attention and following instructions may fall behind in academic subjects including math and reading.

The findings contradict a recent controversial study that found weak or no association between children’s socioemotional skills – including attention – and learning.