If you have state business, plan to do it online from Wednesday afternoon through Monday morning.  The last budget-balancing state worker furlough day of 2010 is this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which is also a state worker holiday.  While most state offices will be closed, state officials say you can do many things online.

Noah Robinson–Art Robinson’s son and campaign manager–is telling supporters in an e-mail about the Robinson campaign’s plan to recycle their lawn signs and magnetic car door signs——-keep them for two years and use them again!!   Robinson, who lost a close contest to Congressman Peter Defazio, says he is already planning another run, in 2012.  Robinson says if the campaign starts now, it will have a better chance in 2012.

People are uneasy in Cottage Grove, where the school mascot is a lion, after a police officer on a routine bike path patrol saw a cougar in a city park.  The officer says the cougar ran across his path and left the area.  Police say there have been other cougar sightings at the same nature park located along the Row River.  Park managers have put up cougar warning signs at park entrances.  Police Chief Mike Grover says park users need to know that part of their nature park experience might be getting stalked by a big cat.

It’s time to get your flu shot.  This year, the CDC recommends that all people over 6 months old get shot.  The vaccine this year protects against H1N1 and two other strains of flu expected to hit the U.S.  In Linn County, the Health Department will immunize uninsured or underinsured kids up to 18, by appointment.  There will be flu shot clinics at senior centers, and at soup kitchens in Lebanon and Sweet Home.  For more information, call 541-967-3888.  Adults, for the most part, will have to pay for their own shots this year.

The race for Governor is too close to call, according to a new poll done for a Portland television station by the firm Survey USA.  It found Chris Dudley leading former Governor John Kitzhaber 46-to-44 percent.  About two months ago, the same poll had Dudley leading by seven points.  But pollsters say Dudley is doing better among older Oregonians, considered more likely to vote.  And Dudley is widening his lead in the money-raising race.

The Oregon State Marine Board wants mid-valley boaters to rate local boat ramps and facilities.  It’s part of a survey done every six years, to help the Marine Board decide where to put its money.  The board makes grants to public and private marinas and boating facilities around Oregon.  There will be a meeting in Albany at the old armory building on August 31st, where members of the Marine Board will listen to the public.  That meeting starts at 7PM.

The search for little Kyron Horman is a criminal investigation, now.  Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies say more than 1300 searchers have completed a fruitless search within a two mile radius of the boy’s school, and those from out of the area will go home.  Searchers have also focused on Sauvie Island, six miles away.  A 25-thousand dollar reward has been posted for information in the case.  A spokesman refused to to say whether investigators think the seven year old was kidnapped.

The owner of a Portland cafe who kicked out a cop sipping coffee last week says he’ll do it again.  John Langley says anarchists are welcome at the Red and Black Cafe, but no cops.  Langley says his policy is designed to keep his anarchist-loving customers ‘safe’ from cops.  He says his intolerance is not discrimination, because cops choose to put on the uniform.  Langley says anarchy is self-accountability, and that his anarchist buddies don’t need or like police.  He says any officer who tries to come in to the cafe will be kicked out.

You could see John Kitzhaaber all over the ballot this November.  The 2009 lesiglature authorized “fusion candidates”–who actively seek the nomination of more than one party.  Kitzhaber says he will seek the Independent Party and the union-dominated Working Families Party nominations for Governor.  He already has the Democratic Party nod.  Republican Chris Dudley won’t say if he will try to double or triple-team voters.  The Independent Party is under fire for allegedly selling nominations.

The Army Corps of Engineers says lay off the booze if you’re boating this weekend.  It says drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental deaths.  The Corps suggests you never over-estimate your swimming skills, watch out for colder water this time of year, always wear a life jacket while boating, and be especially careful at the end of your boating day, because  hours of exposure to noise, vibration, sun, glare, and wind produces fatigue in humans that is similar to drunkenness.

Governor Kulongoski says the 560 million dollar budget shortfall for the rest of the biennium confirms his fears that it will be a long climb out of the recession for Oregon.  Kulongoski said he won’t call the Legislature into session to deal with it, because it would likely feature partisan gridlock in an election year.  So he’s directing state agency heads to come up with plans on how to cut nine percent from their budgets for the rest of the biennium–and he’s ordering them to meet with union officials to minimize layoffs of union workers.

A woman walks into the downtown welfare office, trailed by 15 kids.

‘WOW,’ the social worker exclaims, ‘are they all yours?”

‘Yep, they are all mine,’ the flustered momma sighs, having heard that question a thousand times before.

She says, ‘Sit down Leroy.’ All the children rush to find seats.

‘Well,’ says the social worker, ‘then you must be here to sign up. I’ll need all your children’s names.’

‘Well, to keep it simple, the boys are all named Leroy and the girls are all named Leighroy.’

In disbelief, the case worker says, ‘Are you serious? They’re ALL named Leroy?’

Their momma replied, ‘Well, yes-it makes it easier. When it’s time to get them out of bed and ready for school, I yell, ‘Leroy!’ An’ when it’s time for dinner, I just yell ‘Leroy!’ An they all comes a runnin. An’ if I need to stop the kid who’s running into the street, I just yell Leroy’ and all of them stop. It’s the smartest idea I ever had, namin’ them all Leroy.’

The social worker thinks this over for a bit, then wrinkles her forehead and says tentatively, ‘But what if you just want ONE kid to come, and not the whole bunch?’

‘Then I call them by their last names.’

A hand-picked panel of the Governor’s says Oregon faces a decade of defecits unless lawmakers do more to control state spending.  The task force says even an economic turnaround won’t help much.  The group analyzed state spending growth and economic activity to come up with its prediction.  Governor Kulongoski responded that the state’s budget problems must be better understood by the public and decision-makers, and that there isn’t just one solution—such as cutting state spending.

It looks like voters will get the chance to turn thumbs up or down on a system of easy-access medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon.  Marijuana advocates turned in petitions with what they say are 110-thousand signatures to put the issue on the ballot.  The proposal would also create a system of state regulated marijuana growers.  Voters turned down a similar proposal in 2004.  There are about 33-thousand registered medical marijuana smokers in Oregon.

Springfield city councillors have had enough of the crowd that hangs out at three downtown bars.  The council has voted to tell the OLCC not to renew the liquor licenses of the Club 420, Jim’s Landing, and Stables, due to repeated illegal activity that includes drug dealing and usage, prostitution, and assaults.  The owner of Jim’s Landing says his 75-year old landmark is being wrongly targeted.  And the manager of Stables says he’s tried to clean up the area, by renaming his bar the Silver Lace Club, and making it a stripper bar.