On this day, January 4, 1945, Two men working near Medford, Oregon, heard a blast, saw flames, and found a twelve-inch-deep hole in the ground where the bomb had exploded. The U.S. Office of Censorship asked the news media not to publish reports for fear it might cause panic. It was the first of a Japanese balloon bomb, experimental weapons intended to kill and cause fires.
Also on this day, January 4, 2018, the state of Oregon sued Monsanto over pervasive pollution from PCBs and sought $100 million to mitigate pollution , particularly along a 10-mile stretch of the Willamette River. Federal authorities in 2016 announced a $1 billion cleanup in the area.
“It’s disgusting how you let these white people in without masksâ€
Comments made during public testimony given at an August 10th Salem-Keizer School Board meeting have sparked controversy in Oregon, and have now led to the school board's August 24th work session meeting to be cancelled. Some observers are noting that this type of division and racism witnessed at the August 10th meeting seems to run rampant in the public school system, supported by the spread of policies such as Critical Race Theory in the class room.
"It’s disgusting how you let these white people in without masks", was heard by one student giving public testimony, and she did not shy away from or try to apologize for the racist statement. Students who seem to be supportive of her statement even gave applause at the end of her short speech, which is seen at the beginning of this video.
The full video of the August 10th, 2021 Salem-Keizer School Board meeting can be seen here.
The Salem-Keizer School Board is chaired by Osvaldo Avila and Ashley Carson Cottingham is the vice chair.
