The Jefferson Exchange

Environmental groups complained about plans to widen California highway 197 and U.S. 199 along the Smith River, because the work could hurt fish. 

A judge agreed, and postponed the beginning of the work. 

Now CalTrans will consult with the federal fisheries agency, to assess the possible effects of the highway projects on salmon. 

Another botched execution raises the stakes in the death penalty debate.

And in the middle of drought, talk of raising Shasta Dam continues.  These are the starting points for this week's VENTSday topics.

We do not schedule guests for Wednesday at 8:30, because that's the time for VENTSday, your chance to vent (politely, please) on a pair of topics in the news. 

We bring the topics, you bring the opinions.  AND this week, nominate a topic for NEXT week.

Time is one of those commodities with varying value. 

When we're waiting for our plane to take off, time crawls. 

When we're with people we like, it just seems to fly. 

Life skills coach and teacher Howard Falco insists we can exert a bit more control over time than we may think. 

Does a river or a lake have a water right? 

This question gets asked more often lately, as the drought makes lakes and rivers run low or dry, while nearby water users still get their water. 

A California court just ruled that the pumping of water out of the ground must be regulated to protect nearby rivers.   An environmental group filed the suit.

It's the first use of the "public trust doctrine" in this manner in the state. 

Regardless of the actual crime numbers, there is a perception of a crime problem in downtown Redding. 

Business owners have banded together as Redding Merchants Crime Watch, and the council and mayor are floating proposals to beef up law enforcement. 

Right smack in the middle is Police Chief Rob Paoletti, who plans a town hall meeting Wednesday at 6 PM (at Sequoia Middle School) to release crime stats and take input. 

By many measures, Asian countries lead the world in the overall quality of public education. 

The United States is much farther down the list, despite ongoing efforts to improve schooling here. 

David Scott Clegg is familiar with education in both places. 

He's an educator and the Managing Director of The HEAD Foundation, a Singapore-based education think tank. 

Social media users love to tell their friends about what they're doing. 

It's really the point, after all--to keep up with your social network. 

So why not rack up some points for what you've been doing, if it benefits your community? 

That's the point behind "Be A Local Hero," a website started by Ashlander and Project A President Jim Teece. 

Few people think workers should NOT get paid sick leave. 

The major questions revolve around who should provide it, and if government should order it. 

The Eugene City Council may vote tonight (July 28) on whether to require paid sick leave at companies doing business in city limits. 

The Lane County Commissioners voted first, though, and their ordinances may stop any sick leave ordinance cold. 

Terrorist acts are often known by their numbers: the numbers of people who died in this bombing or that attack. 

People may remember that the bombing of the American embassy in Beirut in 1983 killed 63 people. 

What they may not know or recall is that Robert Ames was one of the 63. 

Ames was a key CIA employee, renowned for his effectiveness at forging relationships with key Arab figures.

Oregon can be a dangerous place for swimmers. 

The state ranks 10th in the country in the per-capita rate of drownings. 

That's not good, considering the state ranks in the second half of states in population. 

Efforts by Safe Kids Oregon and other groups are focused on reducing child injuries, including drowning.