Two-time Olympian and athlete rights activist Nick Symmonds will not compete for a chance to run in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

The 800-meter runner who was a favorite to make team USA announced this morning that, “This left ankle of mine currently has a torn ligament and a stress fracture. It will not allow me compete in the 2016 Olympic Trials.”

Symmonds has made waves in the sports world recently for his work off the track. In April, the Willamette University alum auctioned ad space on his body, protesting the stringent regulations Nike and USATF place on their athletes.

Without Symmonds’ presence on the field, Boris Berian will have the full weight of the Nike protest campaign on his shoulders. Symmonds’ vocal disagreement with USATF’s exclusive sponsor has garnered him as much attention as has his speed on the track.

As students moved out of the residence halls at the end of the school year, the University of Oregon’s Zero Waste program brought together a team of volunteers to ensure that unwanted items wouldn’t end up in the landfill.

In just one week, a team of 36 volunteers contributed 170 hours to the project. Teams collected 370 barrels of recycling — most of which were gathered over three days — which is five times more than what is produced in an average week.

Issues surrounding discarded waste, both on and off-campus, have caused problems in Eugene in recent years. Local housing agencies, such as Von Klein Property Management, have also been working on relieving the amount of waste left behind by exiting students.

Von Klein gives its tenants cleaning and moving instructions before their leases end as well as suggestions for donating food and other unwanted possessions. But these instructions are not always followed, so Von Klein has to hire clean up crews for the interiors and grounds crews to haul away furniture and garbage left outdoors.

Local waste management companies end up disposing some of the move-out mess, but students and property owners are left to deal with trash or recycling that isn’t confined within their waste receptacles.

“According to city regulation, we are required to provide recycling [services],” Royal Refuse General Manager Josh Burnett said. “If recycling is contaminated [by non-recyclable waste], we are allowed to issue a penalty.”

Waste management companies aren’t allowed to revoke recycling services from properties, but property owners do have that authority if tenants are consistently contaminating bins or overusing receptacles, according to Burnett.

“If [recycling receptacles] were taken away, that would be a violation of city code,” Burnett said, “I can see where an owner would make that choice to take it away, [but] we don’t often have to resort to that.”

The chances of trash and recycling services being removed are slim, especially during the busy season of campus move-outs.

“We certainly aren’t removing anything,“ Derek Andrus, head of maintenance for Von Klein said. “We have trash and recycling set up, and it stays there 24/7, 365 days a year.”

While students have options available to them, responsibility often falls to groups such as Zero Waste to make sure that items are deposited in appropriate locations.

“Students get in a rush. They’re in a hurry and often times they don’t do as much sorting as it gets closer to move out day,” Robyn Hathcock, Administrative Services Manager for Zero Waste said. “They throw it all together and drop it.”

Steps are being taken on campus to improve the transitions out of residence halls. With the growing success of clean up projects, student groups may begin to engage with the community at large and encourage better waste management practices by off-campus students whose messes aren’t cleaned up by the UO.

“We are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Hathcock. “We are the last stop in terms of keeping material from ending up in the landfill.”

A dispute between what is believed to be two sets of gang members resulted in a shot fired last night in front of the Eugene library around 7 p.m.

Two fist fights broke out and a single shot was fired in the direction of the library. The shot hit a window in the cafe area and no one was injured.

A gun was recovered at the scene.

The presumed shooter was seen leaving the area and one man is in custody.

Randy Dean Cook, 33 was arrested and charged with Attempted Assault in the First degree, Felon in Possession of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamines.

The story is developing and anyone who has any information should contact Detective Dave Burroughs at (541) 682-5868

As of yesterday, set fireworks are legal in Eugene/Springfield. Ever year beginning June 23 and ending July 6 fireworks can be bought at retail fireworks outlets.

Legal fireworks include fountains, spinners and wheels. Only fireworks that produce smoke, sparks or fire but do not explode, travel more than 12 inches into the air or more than 6 feet on the ground are considered legal in Oregon.

The Eugene Police Department and Metro Explosive Disposal Unit will be taking steps to reduce unlawful displays and provide education as well as awareness about legal vs. illegal displays.

Anyone in possession of illegal fireworks can turn them in at the Emergency Services Training Center on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. without facing charges.

A base fine of $375 has been set for individuals “criminally responsible for hosting, organizing and allowing an unruly event or social gathering,” according to an announcement sent out by EPD. “Property owners where the vent is hosted will also be penalized if there are multiple violations of this ordinance at the same property.”

If you are in Eugene for the Independence Day festivities, you will have to find somewhere besides the old College Hill reservoir to enjoy your evening.

The reservoir, located at Lawrence Street and West 25th Avenue will close this Friday and will remain locked until 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5th. The closure is an attempt by the Eugene Water and Electric Board to protect the drinking water below.

Fireworks on top of the reservoir have caused problems in the past, according to an announcement sent out by EWEB. The rubber coating that was installed in 2008 has suffered wear and tear from fireworks in recent years.

Following a series of projects that used more than $1 million to improve the reservoir that was built in 1939, access gates have been put in place, as well as bans on dogs and fireworks, to protect the site.

For those that have legal fireworks and are looking for a place to enjoy them, the blacktop of the old reservoir, located to the north of the College Hill reservoir, will be available.

The days of leaving campus to grab a pint are a thing of the past now that Falling Sky has moved in to the EMU.

The popular restaurant and brewhouse opened its third location in Eugene this week with its expansion on to the University of Oregon campus.

Falling Sky will offer a different drinking experience than its contemporary “campus bars.” With an atmosphere focused on enjoying the culture surrounding craft beers, EMU director Laurie Woodward hopes that they can “foster a more responsible drinking culture on campus.” according to a story in the Register Guard.

Summer hours will limit students to visiting the new location between 11 a.m and 9 p.m. until school resumes in September. Students will still have to venture away from campus if they want to stay out past midnight Sunday through Wednesday or 1 a.m. the rest of the week.

University of Oregon Provost Scott Coltrane will retire next year, President Michael Schill announced Wednesday afternoon in an email sent out to the university community.

The update from Around the O offers a review of Coltrane’s achievements in his tenure at the university.

Coltrane joined the university in 2008 as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He became senior vice president and provost in 2013. He served as the university’s interim president in 2014 after Michael Gottfredson’s resignation, then returned to his original position in 2015.

A committee led by Geri Richmond, presidential chair in science and professor of chemistry, will conduct a search for Coltrane’s replacement. The university will release more details on the position search in a few weeks.

President Michael Schill all but raved about his first 11 months at the University of Oregon to the Board of Trustees at their final meeting for the 2015-16 school year. Students from the Divest UO movement had their time in the sun as well, urging the Board to move away from its partnership with fossil fuels. A short discussion was also held concerning the renaming of certain buildings on campus.

A day after his investiture, the university’s president spoke about the challenges that lie ahead for the UO as well as the positive steps that he and his ever-forming leadership team have taken.

“We had a really good year in hiring faculty […] and we have expanded diversity,” Schill announced to the room. “We hired three new vice-presidents, we have three new great Deans, assuring new leadership stability.”

The president even hinted at a still undisclosed hire, an assistant vice president for “Student Success” who will be announced soon.

A number of members from Divest UO signed up to make their voices heard and call on the board to “make a decision” in terms of what the university is going to do about its relationship with dirty energy.

Michael Dreiling, associate professor of sociology, opened up the discussion, offering his support for the student-run Divest group.

“One of the fundamental things that students who attend our university leave with is how serious [climate change] is,” Dreiling told the Board. “The Divest movement is an effort to say, ‘This is serious.’”

A call to action was set forth for the Foundation to formally file a report that will help explain what they are doing in terms of protecting the university and the planet. Tensions have been high between the Foundation, administration and Divest members since their banner was removed from the front of Johnson Hall earlier this term.

Campaign Coordinator Kaia Hazard discusses with her Divest UO members before the Board of Trustees meeting on June 2, 2016. (Amanda Shigeoka/Emerald)

Countering claims that the UO is playing an active role in participating in investing in fossil fuels, UO Foundation President Paul Weinhold defended the Foundation.

“We are in alignment with many things students are saying,” said Weinhold. “We as investors have not invested in coal in decades. We have one percent invested in carbon based energy and six percent in alternative energy.”

The hard and fast numbers are not currently available for public viewing, but Weinhold told the Board that, “We don’t have any direct investments [in fossil fuels]. That is, based on my understanding of what direct investment is.”

Kaia Hazard, Campaign Coordinator of Divest UO, shows the Board of Trustees the petitions students have signed in support of their efforts towards fossil fuels. (Amanda Shigeoka/Emerald)

Divesting was not the only topic of contention that the Board has had to deal with this year. The discussion of renaming buildings on campus–Deady Hall specifically–was called for by the Black Student Task Force earlier this year.

A handful of alumni, scholars and a former Lane County Commissioner stepped in to defend keeping the name of the controversial Matthew Deady from the oldest building on campus. Helena Schlegel presented the end of year report from ASUO and explained the unofficial position of the group is to “stand in solidarity” with the task force which is seeking to rename the hall.

Despite the pointed questions directed toward the Foundation’s relationship with fossil fuels, officially, the Board of Trustees policy did not allow them to comment on any of the issues raised in the public comments section of the meeting.

Schill, described himself as the latest president in the university’s current “leadership churn.” He said that he and the Board enter the summer months with optimism that the university is headed in the right direction. That direction, according to Schill, is going to include less action in day-to-day activities from administrators and rely more heavily on the faculty.

“The Provost and I will set the budgets but the leadership of the university will take place in the schools and not in Johnson Hall,” said Schill. “We want to be facilitators of that great activity. Most great things bubble up from the faculty to the deans. The less that we do in Johnson Hall, in terms of prescription, the happier we will all be.”

President Michael Schill all but raved about his first 11 months at the University of Oregon to the Board of Trustees at their final meeting for the 2015-16 school year. Students from the Divest UO movement had their time in the sun as well, urging the Board to move away from its partnership with fossil fuels. A short discussion was also held concerning the renaming of certain buildings on campus.

A day after his investiture, the university’s president spoke about the challenges that lie ahead for the UO as well as the positive steps that he and his ever-forming leadership team have taken.

“We had a really good year in hiring faculty […] and we have expanded diversity,” Schill announced to the room. “We hired three new vice-presidents, we have three new great Deans, assuring new leadership stability.”

The president even hinted at a still undisclosed hire, an assistant vice president for “Student Success” who will be announced soon.

A number of members from Divest UO signed up to make their voices heard and call on the board to “make a decision” in terms of what the university is going to do about its relationship with dirty energy.

Michael Dreiling, associate professor of sociology, opened up the discussion, offering his support for the student-run Divest group.

“One of the fundamental things that students who attend our university leave with is how serious [climate change] is,” Dreiling told the Board. “The Divest movement is an effort to say, ‘This is serious.’”

A call to action was set forth for the Foundation to formally file a report that will help explain what they are doing in terms of protecting the university and the planet. Tensions have been high between the Foundation, administration and Divest members since their banner was removed from the front of Johnson Hall earlier this term.

Campaign Coordinator Kaia Hazard discusses with her Divest UO members before the Board of Trustees meeting on June 2, 2016. (Amanda Shigeoka/Emerald)

Countering claims that the UO is playing an active role in participating in investing in fossil fuels, UO Foundation President Paul Weinhold defended the Foundation.

“We are in alignment with many things students are saying,” said Weinhold. “We as investors have not invested in coal in decades. We have one percent invested in carbon based energy and six percent in alternative energy.”

The hard and fast numbers are not currently available for public viewing, but Weinhold told the Board that, “We don’t have any direct investments [in fossil fuels]. That is, based on my understanding of what direct investment is.”

Kaia Hazard, Campaign Coordinator of Divest UO, shows the Board of Trustees the petitions students have signed in support of their efforts towards fossil fuels. (Amanda Shigeoka/Emerald)

Divesting was not the only topic of contention that the Board has had to deal with this year. The discussion of renaming buildings on campus–Deady Hall specifically–was called for by the Black Student Task Force earlier this year.

A handful of alumni, scholars and a former Lane County Commissioner stepped in to defend keeping the name of the controversial Matthew Deady from the oldest building on campus. Helena Schlegel presented the end of year report from ASUO and explained the unofficial position of the group is to “stand in solidarity” with the task force which is seeking to rename the hall.

Despite the pointed questions directed toward the Foundation’s relationship with fossil fuels, officially, the Board of Trustees policy did not allow them to comment on any of the issues raised in the public comments section of the meeting.

Schill, described himself as the latest president in the university’s current “leadership churn.” He said that he and the Board enter the summer months with optimism that the university is headed in the right direction. That direction, according to Schill, is going to include less action in day-to-day activities from administrators and rely more heavily on the faculty.

“The Provost and I will set the budgets but the leadership of the university will take place in the schools and not in Johnson Hall,” said Schill. “We want to be facilitators of that great activity. Most great things bubble up from the faculty to the deans. The less that we do in Johnson Hall, in terms of prescription, the happier we will all be.”

A verbal dispute escalated to physical violence early Thursday morning behind the Salvation Army on West Seventh Avenue.

“I wouldn’t say it was a stabbing,” John Hankemeier, the public information officer coordinator for Eugene Police Department said.

The 36 year old was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield with “multiple, non life-threatening lacerations.”

The reason for the dispute is unknown to the authorities.

Because of the time of the incident — around 2 a.m.— the victim was unable to identify the attacker.

This story is still developing.