Repos rise as auto loans sink
Bobby Sylvester has a front-row seat to the repo show. Sylvester is the fleet manager for Brasher’s Cascade Auto Auction in Troutdale, one of Oregon’s largest auction lots. more >
Bad economy spells good business for thrift stores
When money is tight, a shabby pair of pants from the thrift store might fit just right. As food and energy prices soar, some consumers are thinking twice before plunking down $200 for a new pair of jeans and heading instead to thrift stores. more >
Rising farmers market prices don’t dampen demand
At the Saturday Portland Farmers Market, one of the largest on the West Coast and one of the first to open each year, feed prices have pushed the cost of eggs to almost $6 a dozen, up from $4.50 last year, and many other prices have nudged higher. more >
Local newspapers are caught in the Net
Since 2005, Monday through Friday circulation has dropped by 33,000 at the Oregonian, 6,000 at the Salem Statesman Journal and 3,400 at the Eugene Register-Guard. At the same time the number of independent blogs based in Oregon is up to 1,600 and rising. more >
Highway 20 project still sputtering
Construction on a stalled $150 million effort to straighten Highway 20 between Newport and Corvallis could be inching forward. But even if the state and the project’s contractors can agree on changes for the contentious project, the coastal region’s narrow June-to-August construction window would limit the work that could be done this year. more >
Monaco hits the brakes and fires 600
Rising gas prices and the slowing economy hit Oregon’s largest RV manufacturer hard in late April, but other companies in Oregon’s luxury motor home cluster say they’re doing just fine. more >
NAU is not the time nor place
Nau, a darling of Portland’s green sustainability scene, unexpectedly went bottom up in early May after failing to meet fundraising goals. more >
McCabe heads OECDD
As expected for months, Gov. Ted Kulongoski has ordered a reorganization of the Oregon Economic Community Development Department. more >
PDX bridge building
In early July, Portland-area government agencies will finalize the path of a $1.25 billion-$1.4 billion public transportation project that would extend light rail from downtown Portland to Milwaukie via a bridge over the Willamette River somewhere between the Marquam and Sellwood bridges. more >
Thousands of jobs lost
Troubles in the economy continue to result in Oregon job losses, with the residential construction sector leading the way, says Oregon state employment economist Art Ayre. more >
