A Few Words from Jim – October 2022

Jim Teece Head Shot

I was asked to moderate a panel at the Plug into Eugene: Resources in the Local Innovation + Bioscience Ecosystem event as the publisher of the Southern Oregon Business Journal. Normally I’m asked to speak as president of Project A or Rogue Broadband or even Art Authority, but this was the first time I was…

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Business Oregon Debuts Updated Index of Innovative State Economies

Business Oregon is pleased to announce one of its key innovation research projects, the Oregon Innovation Index, has been updated and is now live on biz.oregon.gov. The Oregon Innovation Index was created to measure the state’s innovation economy and identify opportunities for enhancing competitiveness. It is a key yardstick used by Business Oregon to track the…

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The Oregon Coast Wage Challenge

By Erik Knoder, Oregon Regional Economist, Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, and Tillamook counties How can workers on the Oregon Coast find higher-paying jobs? The best single answer is to get the education and training to enter a higher-paying occupation. (Our website www.qualityinfo.org had information about those occupations.) But that isn’t the full answer. It is also important to…

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Jackson County Travel Impacts 2021

By Guy Tauer, Oregon Regional Economist, Coos, Curry, Jackson, and Josephine counties New data from a Dean Runyan Associates study for the Oregon Tourism Commission shows that total direct travel spending in Oregon fell by 48.5% in 2020 compared with 2019 totals. Preliminary data for 2021 show that the travel economy recovered much of the…

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Cash Flow Issues in Inflationary Times

By Marshall Doak, Director of the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center It has been said that the ramp-up in inflation costs is quick, but the subsequent reduction in costs are slow to be realized once the inflation monster has been contained. The effects of this on a business owner is that all too…

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Loud Voices

by Greg Henderson If my house is on fire I would appreciate it if you would yell loudly at me that I am in danger. Otherwise, please tone it down a bit. My neighbor lives about a hundred yards from me. To hear him talking in his front yard you would think he lived about…

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2022 Oregon Connections Award Winners

On Thursday, October 6, 2022 several individuals and organizations were given awards at the Oregon Connections Conference. The conference honors individuals and organizations who have positively impacted telecommunications development in Oregon in six categories: applications, projects, partnerships, legislation, advocacy and enduring achievement. Award nominations are evaluated by an Awards Committee that includes past Oregon Connections…

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Dogs and Cats in the Pacific Northwest to Get Medical Care That Rivals Human Medical Facilities

The Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon (VRCCO) has announced they are breaking ground on a new location in Bend, Oregon. The spacious new state-of-the-art facility is designed to meet the growing demand for advanced medical care for pets in the Pacific Northwest. Features of the 26,000-square-foot medical facility include a bone and joint center,…

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Dutch Bros and its customers raise more than $1.1M for local youth

On Friday, Sept. 16, Dutch Bros Coffee and its customers raised more than $1.1 million for local youth organizations dedicated to providing resources for education, extracurricular activities and other needs. “Buck for Kids is all about giving the local youth an opportunity for a brighter future,” said Katie Hutchison, vice president of social impact at…

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LS Networks Announces Entry into Residential Market

Partnership with PocketiNet Furthers Mission to Bridge the Digital Divide, Expanding Platformto Include Fiber-to-the-Home Today (Sept. 29, 2022) , LS Networks announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire PocketiNet Communications Inc., a residential internet, phone, and Wi-Fi service provider. Continuing operations under each respective brand, this partnership marks LS Networks’ entry into the residential…

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OnPoint Community Credit Union releases updated eBook to help guard against evolving tactics in cybercrime

OnPoint Community Credit Union today released its 2022 “The OnPoint Guide to Personal Cybersecurity” eBook to help consumers and businesses protect themselves amidst a fast-evolving cybercrime landscape. In 2021, ransomware attacks doubled, and in the first half of 2022, malware scams jumped 11%. OnPoint updates the free eBook every October to coincide with National Cybersecurity…

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