Jan. 26 marks the 324th anniversary of the last Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. The 1700 quake caused the coastline to drop by several feet and sent a tsunami crashing into the Pacific Northwest coast. Pressure has been building in the Zone ever since, setting the region up for another potential magnitude-9.0 quake. Researchers estimate this kind of “megathrust” earthquake occurs roughly every 300-500 years. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management has been encouraging residents to pre...
Jan 26, 2024•52 min
Author David Grann often writes about obsession. His stories feature people doing extraordinary, and often dangerous or morally questionable things, in pursuit of ambitious goals. He’s the author of the books “Lost City of Z,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and his newest, “The Wager.” Grann is also obsessive about the research and details he puts into his books. We talk to Grann in front of a group of students at Nelson High School in Happy Valley.
Jan 25, 2024•52 min
For some downtown Portland business leaders, the new year is a time for optimism. Some say government attention on the area, like an emphasis on the region through the Central City Task Force convened by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, could mean positive changes for downtown. Jonathan Bach is a real estate and finance reporter for the Portland Business Journal. He recently wrote about the outlook for downtown business leaders and joins us to share what he’s been hearing from them.
Jan 24, 2024•19 min
When Sarah and Joel Bond moved into their first house, a home they’d bought in SW Portland Gabriel Park a few years ago, they noticed the two tall Douglas firs on the property - one several times taller than the house and leaning toward it. Generally, to remove a tree of a certain size in Portland, it must be either dead, diseased or dangerous. The Bonds applied under the dangerous criteria, but their permit was denied. The tree leaning toward their house came down in the January storm, destroyi...
Jan 24, 2024•17 min
Water has been drawn down from reservoirs on the Klamath River as the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history continues. It’s a critical step before the removal of three remaining hydroelectric dams on the river. We check in on the process with Barry McCovey Jr., the Fisheries Department director for the Yurok Tribe.
Jan 24, 2024•16 min
Pale Blue Wave, an Instagram profile with more than 80,000 followers, highlights impromptu photos and video portraits of strangers around Portland, mainly taken in downtown. The photographer who created the Pale Blue Wave account says he appreciates the style of the residents he sees walking around. In the videos, some Portlanders appear surprised and flattered to be noticed on their commutes going about their day. The interactions and on-the-spot photo shoots take place quickly, typically lasti...
Jan 23, 2024•17 min
Earlier this month, scientists described what they believe to be the world’s first fossil of prehistoric grasshopper eggs. The silver dollar-sized fossil containing more than 50 grasshopper eggs was first found in 2012 at the Sheep Rock Unit at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Eastern Oregon. For several years, the fossil was mistakenly thought to be of ant eggs until Nick Famoso, a paleontologist hired at the monument in 2016, had doubts about their origin. The specimen was sent to...
Jan 23, 2024•19 min
The Woodland East Mobile Home Park is a community of residents 55-and-older, located in Southwest Washington, roughly 20 miles north of Vancouver. The Columbian recently reported on the plight of the many seniors who live there and struggle to pay $1050 per month to rent a lot, in addition to their mortgages, utilities and other expenses. The tenants claim the landlord has raised their rent by 250% since he purchased Woodland East in 2017, and have filed more than 100 complaints against him with...
Jan 23, 2024•18 min
In November, the Oregon Health Authority began offering all middle and high schools in the state free kits containing naloxone, a medication used to reverse overdoses from opioids, including fentanyl. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl have been linked to accidental overdose deaths among multiple teens in Oregon. Amid this backdrop, a new investigative series from The Lund Report, University of Oregon's Catalyst Journalism Project and OPB takes a look at what drug prevention messaging l...
Jan 22, 2024•30 min
Veneta, Oregon in Lane County, bills itself as a “quiet, small-town community” with access to both natural areas and the amenities of the Eugene metro area. It’s the kind of place where neighbors help neighbors, as evidenced by the recent activity on the Veneta Community Network Facebook page. During last week’s winter storms, the message board was full of posts from community members offering to help tow stuck cars, bring food to families who were snowed in, and clear downed trees from roads an...
Jan 22, 2024•8 min
Early results show that residents in John Day have voted to recall their mayor just a year after she took office. A group of citizens and city employees moved to begin the recall process after filing a criminal complaint against Mayor Heather Rookstool last fall. Both the complaint and the recall petition allege that Rookstool overstepped the legal role of her office by taking on duties belonging to the city manager. The recall went to a vote this month after Rookstool refused to resign in Decem...
Jan 22, 2024•15 min
Oregon has had the same blue and gold state flag for nearly 100 years. The state’s name, coat of arms and year of statehood are on one side, but it’s the other side that features the golden beaver that makes it unique — it’s the only state flag with two sides and one of the only double-sided flags in the world. The Redmond Spokesman recently ran an editorial pointing out that some of the images that make up the state seal on the flag might be due for a makeover. It also questioned the need for t...
Jan 19, 2024•28 min
Seven out of every 10 adults in the Oregon Department of Corrections have abused drugs or alcohol, and 1 out of 5 are classified as having severe mental health issues. People who are released from custody are 10 times more likely overdose on opioids than the general public. These are among the many challenges facing the new director of the Department of Corrections, Mike Reese, who took over the job late last year. Reese joins us to talk about his philosophy for managing the department.
Jan 19, 2024•25 min
Most people are familiar with the classic game of telephone where one person whispers a phrase to someone else seated next to them and that person then whispers what they heard to the next person, and so on. The game continues until the last person shares aloud what they heard, often bearing little resemblance to the original message. Oregon ArtsWatch recently profiled an exhibit that opened in Lincoln City this month that showcases what happens when a group of local artists is invited to play t...
Jan 18, 2024•22 min
From humpbacks to orcas, whales and dolphins are renowned for their underwater vocalizations, whether it’s to impress a mate, find prey or strengthen social bonds. But beluga whales are especially vocal, with a complex language of whistles, chirps and rhythmic calls that have led to them being called the “canaries of the sea.” For the first time, a team of scientists has documented the unique vocalizations of Cook Inlet belugas, a critically endangered population native to Alaska. The roughly 30...
Jan 18, 2024•21 min
Lane County was hit particularly hard by the recent winter storms that left many areas of western Oregon without transportation or power. Ice and snow led to downed trees, closed roads and extensive power outages in the county. Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency on Tuesday to help county officials access “critical federal resources to aid in reconstruction and recovery efforts.” That’s after the county Board of Commissioners declared its own state of emergency earlier that day. Laurie...
Jan 18, 2024•12 min
Doctor Carlos Sanchez has an unusual and challenging caseload of patients. For one thing, they have scales, feathers, horns and fur, and can’t really say where it hurts. But it’s his job to oversee the medical care and treatment of more than a thousand animals (not including fish) as the head veterinarian at Portland’s Oregon Zoo. In our latest installment in our series on professions, we accompany Dr. Sanchez as he makes his daily rounds to check up on some of his favorite patients. He shares w...
Jan 17, 2024•52 min
Oregon’s storied craft brewing industry suffered one of its worst years in 2023, with depressed draft beer sales and rising costs creating more pressure than some of the state’s businesses could bear. According to the Oregon Brewers Guild, the state is home to about 400 breweries, brewpubs and taprooms, with 50,000 jobs and generates nearly $9 billion in economic output. But the state lost around 30 of those businesses last year and even more have contracted or are seriously struggling. We’re jo...
Jan 16, 2024•19 min
In a recent state report card, 3.9% of students in Oregon are experiencing homelessness. There are a number of challenges facing these students, including meeting their basic needs. According to the report card, a little more than 80% of Oregon students graduate in four years, for students who are unhoused that number drops down to 58.6%. Mark Osburn is the McKinney-Vento liaison for the Oakridge School District as well as their Youth and Transition Coordinator. Jamie Klebe is the McKinney-Vento...
Jan 16, 2024•20 min
Tens of thousands of Oregon homes and businesses were still without electricity early Tuesday, as the National Weather Service warned of more challenging conditions to come. Portland Public Schools, Salem-Keizer, Eugene 4J and many other districts canceled classes on Tuesday. Portland warned that its sewer system is strained, and the MAX service remains shut down. At least four deaths may be linked to the weather. The National Weather Service is forecasting freezing rain across northwest Oregon ...
Jan 16, 2024•13 min
From the Black Panthers to hip hop, the Shakur family stands out as leaders of Black political thought and activism in this country. Journalist Santi Elijah Holley chronicles the history of this family in his new book “An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation.” Holley describes a group of people committed to resisting the exploitation and persecution of Black people, and creating a space of self-determination through activism, care, violence, and art. OPB’s Prakruti Bhatt talks to Holley a...
Jan 15, 2024•54 min
Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and Portland State University have come together to form the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. The center was created by the state Legislature last year, as data breaches of the Oregon Health Plan and Department of Motor Vehicles exposed millions of Oregonians’ information, and ransomware attacks shut down the Curry County government. The center will help local governments, state agencies, tribal governments, libraries and school distric...
Jan 12, 2024•18 min
Throughout Oregon, cities are dealing with budget deficits. And for some, the new year has meant cuts to services. Libraries are facing cuts in multiple cities, including Salem. And officials elsewhere are scrambling to cobble together funds to keep some services afloat. Melanie Kebler is the mayor of Bend, and Chris Hoy is the mayor of Salem. They join us with details on what their cities are facing and what the new year means for services.
Jan 12, 2024•16 min
Inclement weather is in the forecast for much of Oregon this weekend, with almost all counties under a winter storm watch or warning. The Oregon Department of Transportation has been clearing roads and responding to closures since late Monday, when the first round of storms hit the state. ODOT received $19 million last month from the Legislature to shore up winter maintenance services in the wake of its budget shortfall. The money will allow the agency to remove overtime restrictions on road mai...
Jan 12, 2024•18 min
According to the national database Shelter Animal Counts, the number of dogs and cats awaiting adoption at animal shelters grew by nearly 250,000 last year. Meanwhile, the rate of adoption for dogs has decreased, with nearly 60% of shelter operators reporting requests from owners to surrender their dogs. As reported in Columbia Gorge News, Hood River Adopt a Dog and Home At Last Humane Society in The Dalles are emblematic of the challenges animal shelters are currently facing, including a surge ...
Jan 11, 2024•25 min
The projected costs for wildfire protection and response for the state this year stand at about $136 million. Two democratic lawmakers have different proposals on how to fund combat wildfires. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, wants to charge property owners in the state an additional $10 dollars to help address costs. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants a voter measure to go to Oregonians that, if passed, would place a tax on the value of timber harvested on private land. Alex Baumhardt is a r...
Jan 11, 2024•16 min
At least 315 people died in Multnomah County while experiencing homelessness in 2022, according to a recent report. In 2021, that number was 193. Nearly half of the deaths in the most recent report were found to be accidental - often relating to drug overdoses. The report also shows that people experiencing homelessness were killed in traffic accidents at a rate that is 45 times higher than the overall population. Kaia Sand, executive director of Street Roots, joins us to share details on the re...
Jan 11, 2024•13 min
A hundred years ago, a million adult chum salmon would return each autumn to spawn in tributaries and creeks along the Columbia River. But, like other varieties of salmon, overfishing, dams and loss of habitat decimated their numbers in Oregon and Washington. Columbia River chum salmon were listed as threatened nearly 25 years ago under the Endangered Species Act. A team of biologists at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been leading efforts to reintroduce chum salmon in the Columbi...
Jan 10, 2024•21 min
After decades of discussion, a new skatepark is now in the works for Portland's Old Town. Advocates have eyed the project since the early 2000s, and Portland Parks and Recreation department recommended it in the 2008 Skatepark System Plan. Parks and Recreation is expected to begin work on the more than 30,000 square feet of skate space in spring 2024. Jessie Burke is the chair of the Old Town Community Association. Howard Weiner is the owner of Cal Skate Skateboards. They both join us to share m...
Jan 10, 2024•22 min
In the last few years, Portland has tried a number of different tactics to make responding to 911 calls more efficient and faster. Not all of them have worked. In 2021, the Fire Bureau added the Community Health Division to shift its response, so that not every 911 call gets a full engine and ambulance. Though the Community Health Division and its Community Connect program have since been eliminated, a new audit of the program reveals much about how the bureau can best support programs like Port...
Jan 10, 2024•10 min
