Morning Lookout: Trash revenue bypassing Lane County coffers

Good morning, Lookout Eugene-Springfield,

It’s April 1, which means this is the one day where it’s considered OK — I guess — to make up something as long as you append “April Fools’ Day” to the end. It’s something I have never understood or wanted to take part in. So for the record, everything in today’s Morning Lookout is true and accurate.

There is money in trash. More specifically, there is a lack of money when trash is taken out of the area. As Ben Botkin reports, Lane County estimates that trash being moved to a private landfill outside of Medford has cost the county about $5.2 million.

Tuesday, Lillian Schrock-Clevenger got an early look at the new brain injury unit being constructed by PeaceHealth. After it opens in August, it will eventually serve 60 patients recovering from injuries, including strokes and neurological diseases.

The Saturday Market kicks off this weekend in Eugene, joining the Lane County Farmers Market, which has been steadily building during the past couple of months. Taylor Goebel offers a look at what you can expect downtown as the annual Saturday ritual returns.

The Oregon Ducks football team lost two games last season. Both were to the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers. Tyson Alger was at the practice field Tuesday as the team starts its run back to — hopefully — the College Football Playoff.

And if you didn’t read Lookout PM yesterday, I pulled this from Bob Passaro’s newsletter:

The manslaughter and drunken driving trial of Scott Stolarczyk began today at the Lane County Courthouse. A jury was selected and both sides presented opening statements. Stolarczyk was driving the vehicle that hit and killed Sharon Schuman, a former UO professor, professional violinist and well-known Eugene resident, while she was jogging on the Amazon trail about a year ago. Our justice reporter, Jaime Adame, has the story.

Stories you might have missed Tuesday …

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Lane County considers changes to waste hauling system to recoup revenue

By Ben Botkin

A Texas-based waste handler is hauling Lane County residents’ trash to a landfill near Medford instead of the county’s landfill and thereby avoiding fees.

New PeaceHealth rehab facility to feature Oregon’s first dedicated brain injury unit

By Lillian Schrock-Clevenger

The 42-bed facility in Springfield will also serve patients recovering from strokes, neurological disease and other serious injuries. It will open in August, replacing and tripling the size of the current inpatient rehabilitation unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend and freeing needed beds at the hospital.