Emerald THE DAILY
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
TUESDAY, JAN. 21, 2025 SPORTS
Athlete of the Week: Jackson Shelstad Read story on page 11
OPINION
Oregon’s burning budget Read story on page 7
LOS ANGELES FIRES
CITY NEWS
Eugene home prices expected to rise by 3% in 2025 By Stephanie Hensley City News Reporter
As the city of Eugene continues to grow, housing opportunities will remain a challenge for prospective residents in 2025. These challenges are part of a larger trend affecting housing markets nationwide, with rising mortgage rates and increasing demand for homes putting pressure on buyers and renters alike. According to Houzeo, home prices in Eugene and Portland are expected to rise to 3.1% by the end of March. Over the past five years, Eugene’s housing prices have steadily increased as prices remain relatively high compared to historical costs. According to Redfin, July 2023 marked a peak in home sales, with the average home selling for $523,000. By November 2024, the median sale price was $510,000. According to Realtor, national mortgage rates are expected to average at 6.3% through-
Continue story on page 8
The faces
ARTS & CULTURE
behind the fire With a large portion of out-of-state students coming from California, the Los Angeles fires are hitting remarkably close to home for many By Aishiki Nag Opinion Columnist
Gracie Berger, a sophomore at University of Oregon, received an update from her family on Jan. 7, saying that her home was under emergency evacuation orders due to the proximity of the Eaton Canyon fires in Altadena, California. “Being in these classes, it felt like no one else even knew this was happening or had any idea… everyone was fine and I wasn’t fine. I was checking my family’s location. I was texting them and they weren’t responding, and it was nerve-wracking,” Berger said. “I didn’t know if they were okay, (and) I didn’t know if our house was okay.” Berger’s family had left their house in Altadena to stay with her grandparents — whose house is close to the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena — there they received a second evacua-
tion order the very same night and had to flee again. Berger’s father drove up to the evacuated neighborhood and put out some of the embers from the main fire, in an attempt to prevent further fires from igniting. Berger recalled that her neighborhood had around 180 houses, of which 50 had burned down. Her grandparent’s home was one of them. They had lost everything. Berger received this news in the form of a text message from her sister during class. “She’s (Berger’s grandmother) like a big sentimental person. All of the family things, photos and everything was in her house that burned … she’s being very strong about it, ” Berger said, recalling how her grandmother is currently handling the devastating news. Continue story on page 6
Eating with the Seasons: Winter Gardening in Eugene By Fern Peva Arts & Culture Writer
Winter in Eugene brings unique challenges and opportunities for gardeners and farmers. As the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, plant growth slows, but there’s still a surprising variety of crops to harvest in winter. At GrassRoots Garden, a 2.5-acre plot in Eugene, volunteers and staff grow food year-round for Food for Lane County and local community members. Emily Johnson, assistant garden lead at GrassRoots, shared her experience with winter gardening and seasonal eating. Outside the greenhouse, hardy crops such as Continue story on page 5