What will happen when a natural disaster shuts down our bridges, highways and rail lines and prevents the distribution of food to local stores? “Reality is, every community has about three days food supply available in grocery stores to feed itself,” says Deb McGee, who describes herself as a “Peaceful Valley subsistence farmer” in rural Eugene. “It is also true that 90 percent of what we eat could be grown locally if we chose to eat seasonally.”

The name of the anonymous company that wants to export six to 10 million tons of dirty coal a year from Coos Bay via trains running through Eugene might be made known at the beginning of April. Public records requests for more information on the secretive proposal have been met with charges of thousands of dollars.

• In western Lane County, Weyerhaeuser (541) 744-4684 plans to aerially spray Atrazine 4L, Transline, Velpar DF, Sulfomet XP and 2,4-D Ester with Foam Buster on 51 acres about 1-1/2 miles south of Cottage Grove near a tributary of Wallace Creek. Notice 2012-771-00156.

Two farmers and a priest walk into a bar and … oh wait, is that how the joke goes? Springfield’s Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) is hatching Sprout!, which is no joke — it’s a food hub that will be housed in the former First Christian Church on 4th and A streets.

NEDCO Assistant Director Sarai Johnson says the hub will have three main components: a year-round farmers market, a central kitchen that can accommodate up to five businesses at once, and an expansion of NEDCO’s Hatch business incubator program.

• Scholar Irfan Omar, Ph.D. of Marquette University will speak at LCC Thursday, March 8, as part of the college’s two-year Visiting Scholars on Islam series. From 1 to 2:30 pm Omar will present “Conference of the Birds,” selections of well-known Sufi writings. From 5 to 6:30 pm he will present “Dialogue of the Heart: Seeing the ‘Other’ from an Islamic Perspective” exploring historic interfaith discussions. Both public presentations will be in the Center for Meeting and Learning on the main campus, Building 19, room 226.

The problems with cheap plastic bags don’t end with environmental ramifications, according to Environment Oregon’s Sarah Higginbotham, and that’s why businesses and members of the recycling industry are joining environmentalists to support a Eugene ban on plastic grocery bags. The City Council voted unanimously (with Councilor Mike Clark absent) on Feb. 27 to draft a plastic bag ban ordinance.

The city of Eugene and Lane County are planning to do away with Lane County Animal Services (LCAS), sparking an outcry from local advocates for dogs, cats and other pets, who worry this could bring the county back to the days when thousands of stray pets were killed each year.

Lane County, Eugene and Springfield are forming an interagency task team to explore and develop a new model of service delivery for animal services, the county says.

Most Eugeneans probably assume that human trafficking is an international phenomenon, plaguing far-off nations like India and Thailand. This is decidedly not the case. Trafficking is an issue that affects the U.S., and prostitution and servitude in Oregon is on the rise. In order to raise awareness for this pressing human rights issue, and as part of its annual International Women’s Day Forum, the Zonta Club of Eugene-Springfield is holding a luncheon and panel on sex trafficking 11:30 am Thursday, March 8.

In Afghanistan

• 1,895 U.S. troops killed* (1,881)

• 15,415 U.S. troops wounded in action (15,343)

• 1,095 U.S. contractors killed (1,095)

• $505.5 billion cost of war ($503.3 billion)

• $149.3 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($148.5 million)

In Iraq

When Steven Michael Todd crouched down to speak to a friend this fall, he didn’t intend to commit a crime, and he certainly wasn’t trying to attract the cops’ attention. But that action, next to a wall by Lazar’s Bazar, led to Todd being served with an order excluding him from downtown for 90 days.

It’s not every day that a majority of Eugene’s City Council, Stephen Colbert, Oregon Country Fair and Occupy Eugene have a cause in common. But the far-reaching, unpopular Supreme Court decision on Citizens United has given those concerned about the future of democracy a reason to come together.

Last week the council voted 6-1 to call for a resolution supporting an amendment to the Constitution that would clarify that corporations aren’t people. This week democracy activists are holding People United: More than a March, at 11 am Feb. 25 at the Free Speech Plaza.

While the fight rages on against the massive Keystone XL pipeline that would bring tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. to processing facilities, small groups in the Northwest and the Rockies celebrate a victory in their fight against the machinery that feeds the controversial tar sands.