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COVER OREGON
YOUNG WO RS STRUGGLE TO
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• Oregon governor said time to hold Cover Oregon's main technology contractor accountable forfailure
Phil Bullock /The Observer
Tamiah Mitchell, a graduating high school senior, has worked at Subway/Baskin Robbins since November and says she will likely leave the area for more job opportunities. A recent study by the Oregon Employment Department calls teen workers an "endangered species" who have trouble finding work.
• Unemployment, participation show teens are'endangered species,' according to new state report Prior to the recession, teens and young adults were participating Though the state has added back at more than 45 percent; now it's jobs during its Great Recession closer to 35 percent. "Iappliedeverywhere" said Ben recovery, young workers face high unemployment rates in Oregon. Walker,a 21-year-old assistant The State Employment Departmanager at La Grande Eat & Run. "I went to school out of state and ment on Thursday released a new study, "Endangered: Youth in came back in December." '/ the Labor Force," that details the Throughsome friends,the EOU acDI>+ro problem young workers, ages 16 student was able to get his job in a to 24, have had fi ndingjobs.The couple of months. demographic makes up 13 percent Union County faces a distinct ofthelaborforce butaccounted for challenge in that it has "far higher 29 percent of Oregon's unemployed sharesofpeople ages 15 to 24 than Phil Bullock /The Observer in 2013. their pre-college iunder 15l popula- Taylor Robinson has spent the past year honing "soft The study also shows that the tion would suggest," the report says, skills" like working with people at her job withTaco laborforceparticipation rateamong due to the presence of EOU. Teen Time. After her graduation this weekend, she will work teenagers and young adults reached workers in La Grande say that can through the summer to save money before heading to itslowest pointon record lastyear. SeeJobs / Page 5A college in Washington. By Kelly Ducote
The Observer
By Dick Mason The Observer
A chapter was added to the story of the La Grande School District's comeback from the 2008-09 recession Wednesday night. The La Grande School Board votedto adopt a 2014-15 general
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due in part to an improving economy. The La Grande School District's financial situation has improved dramatically since 2009 when it had to cut about $2 million due to the recession thatforced the stateto reduce its public school funding. La Grande School District Superintendent Larry Glaze said the chance to boost the budget is most welcome after many years ofhaving to make cutbacks. He was worried that he might never
see a day when significant additions could be made. "I was hoping, but I was beginning to wonder," Glaze said. The 2014-15 budget will allow the schooldistrictto add back 7-V4 teaching and non-teaching positions. The total will include 4-V4 teaching positions, with three slated for La Grande High School in the areas of math, science, social studies, health and career technical education. Three quarters of a SeeBudget / Page 5A
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541-963-3161 Issue 65 3 sections, 32 pages La Grande, Oregon
HEALT H IER VERSION OF THE KLONDIKE BAR •000
The state is still withholding $25.6 million in payments from Oracle. Oregon abandoned plans for fixing the site and is switching to the federal portal used by most states, www. Healthcare. gov.
pot dispensary changing sites • Permit for Green Apothecary OKd for new location By Dick Mason The Observer
The saga of La Grande's future medical marijuana dispensary, Green Apothecary, has taken a new twist. Beforeeven opening itsdoorsorseeing its first customer, the medical marijuana dispensary is now set to eventually operate at a diferent location than originally announced. The owner of Green Apothecary, Rona Lindsey, was granted a business permit to operateamedi calmarijuana dispensary at 1709 Adams Ave. on Thursday by City of La Grande Planner Michael Boquist. Boquist notified Lindsey by email Thursday morning ofhis decision to grant the SeeLocation / Page 5A
CONTACT US
Fu l l forecast on the back of B section
Friday
SALEM — Gov. John Kitzhaber said Thursday he's seeking a lawsuit against Oracle Corp. over Oregon's online health insurance enrollment system, the failure of which embarrassed the state and resulted in multiple investigations. In a letter to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Kitzhaber said he has fired state managers in charge of Cover Oregon, and now it's time to hold accountable the website's main technology contractor. 'This is a very serious decision taking on a very large corporation — the secondlargestsofbvare corporation in the world — but I do not believethey'vedelivered for the state of Oregon," Kitzhaber told The Associated Press during an interview in his state Capitol offrce. SeeOregon / Page 5A
First medical
llgcomingschoolVeariiudgetincreased fund budget that is more than $1.7 million greater than the present year's budget. The Glaze ado p ted $19.2 million spending plan will provide the funding needed to add back many positions the districtwa sforced tocutin recent years. The district's budget will be up 9.2 percent in 2014-15 because of additional funding it isexpectedtogetfrom the state,
More info
LA GRANDE
LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT
• School board adopts Ir19.2M budget for 2014-15, np more than Irl.7M
The Associated Press
Email story ideas to newsC~/agrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
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