SolarWorld gets cash infusion, OSU proposes new taxing districts and Oregon Health Plan funding in danger.
My allergies are back on this cloudy Thursday. So, apparently, is SolarWorld.
The struggling Hillsboro solar panel manufacturer faced imminent closure and planned to lay off 500 or more employees. But creditors gave SolarWorld a lifeline in the form of $6 million in cash. The Portland Business Journal has the story.
OSU aims to create new taxing districts. The Extension Service needs more money in Umatilla and Morrow counties to finance staff, campus maintenance and utility costs. OSU hopes to raise the funds by implementing two taxing districts at the rate of 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Read more from the East Oregonian.
Ballot referral could impact Oregon Health Plan funding. Three Republican lawmakers want voters to consider the state’s Medicaid financing plan. If the plan shifts from the legislature to the ballot, tax collection would be put on hold. That could mean a loss of $333 million in revenue for the OHP. The Portland Tribune has the story.
Calling all small businesses. Interested in going cashless? To promote digital payment technology, Visa is offering $10,000 to 50 businesses willing to make the leap. Find out more from USA Today.
Roseburg Forest Products expanding, just not in Oregon. The wood products company will expand in South Carolina with a $200 million plant. RFP bills its new plant as the “most technologically advanced manufacturing facility of its kind.” Read more from the Register Guard.
Meanwhile another Oregon plant closes. News broke yesterday that Western Graphics is shuttering its Portland printing plant. Eighty-two employees face layoffs starting Oct. 6. The Oregonian has the story.
Home prices top $400k. No, that’s not in Portland (although prices here average $417,000). The latest figures come from Bend, where the median home price increased 8% in a month. The Bend Bulletin has more.
OB Original Blog: ‘Business trumps politics.’ Open border commerce and tourism initiatives move forward in Baja — and Oregon.
