Year: 2013

Oregon’s ex chief education officer, Rudy Crew, billed the state for thousands of dollars in personal travel expenses. He took more than nine weeks of paid time off during his year on the job, including six weeks of paid vacation along with sick time, holidays and personal time. Crew was the second-highest paid state employee with a salary of $280,000.

PeaceHealth is facing a major budget gap and needs to save $30 million in the next two months, on top of the $100 million in savings it already identified. Lane County’s largest health care provider is suspending hiring immediately and reviewing vacant positions to see if they can be cut.

Many middle-class families in Oregon are struggling, the newly updated Family Budget Calculator for 2013 shows. A two-parent, two-child family in Salem needs $63,978 annually to achieve basic economic security. Yet a family of four earning $23,550 is considered to be at the federal poverty threshold.

The Cowlitz Tribe plans to build a $510 million casino resort near La Center off I-5. The tribe hopes to break ground in 2014 after 11 years of fighting.

U.S. News ranked hospitals around the country. See how Oregon hospitals stacked up.