Briefs for Feb. 7, 2026
Published 10:43 am Friday, February 6, 2026
Take the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics
Special Olympics Clatsop County’s Polar Plunge is slated to take place 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Coffenbury Lake in Fort Stevens State Park, according to a press release about the event. The event is a culmination of the nonprofit organization’s Polar Plunge fundraiser. Plunge participants are collecting donations to support local sports in advance. You can also donate online at: support.soor.org/DIY2026. Select “Team Clatsop.”
Clatsop Behavioral Health among state grant recipients
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is issuing $4 million in grants to organizations to help retain and recruit behavioral health providers in high-need communities across Oregon, announced Governor Tina Kotek on Friday. The funding is from House Bill 2024, which was passed by the Oregon Legislature last year.
In addition to serving Oregon’s major urban areas, 18 of the 26 awards will specifically serve rural or remote communities, furthering OHA’s goal of lowering barriers to health care access for all people in Oregon. House Bill 2024 directed OHA to invest $4.75 million in education incentives that address Oregon’s growing need for a skilled and sustainable behavioral health workforce. Of that amount, $4 million was distributed through a competitive request for grant applications. The remaining $750,000 was set aside to support critical services statewide. In honoring the government-to-government relationship with the Nine Federally Recognized Tribes in Oregon, OHA has a Tribal set-aside that was made available to recruit and retain behavioral health providers in Tribal communities. An additional $250,000 will support the recruitment and retention of the workforce supporting Oregon’s suicide prevention hotlines.
Oregonians invited to submit to America250 timecapsule
The Oregon Historical Society and the America 250 Oregon Commission invites the public to share ideas for Oregon’s contributions to the Semiquincentennial Time Capsule that will be buried by America250 on July 4 within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The stainless-steel cylinder, designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, will safely store commemorative objects for 250 years until the capsule’s opening on July 4, 2275.
Each state has been asked to contribute a submission that represents its people, stories, and values at this historic moment. Items should reflect Oregon and its people today and may include creative works, written reflections, or symbolic objects created with long-term preservation in mind. Submissions must fit within a 6-inch-by-5-inch-by-2-inch archival storage box, ideally made of a nonreactive metal (gold, silver, copper, titanium, platinum) or consist of a single page of archival paper no larger than 8.5- by 11-inches. Other materials (such as stone, fabric, glass, clay) may be utilized, recognizing that the potential for long-term degradation is increased.
Oregonians are encouraged to submit recommendations to Oregon.250@ohs.org by March 1, 2026. Public input will help inform final selection.