At the annual West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, boaters attempt to cross a watercourse in Tualatin using only a giant pumpkin as their vessel. The regatta will happen on Sunday. Jim Sherwood is an extreme gardener and one of the founders of the festival. He recently won the National Pumpkin Weigh Off in California by growing a nearly 2,500-pound pumpkin. Gourd grower Gary Kristensen has competed in the regatta since 2013. Earlier this month, he attempted to break a Guinness world record by paddl...
Oct 16, 2024•19 min
For more than a decade, Tigard has been working on revitalizing its downtown. City leaders, small business owners and the nonprofit Tigard Downtown Alliance have worked together to bring more foot traffic to the city’s core. We hear more about the effort and the work that’s still to come from Kevin Bates, an owner of Symposium Coffee and the president of the alliance.
Oct 16, 2024•14 min
Voters in Washington will soon get their ballots in the mail for the general election, with voting opening on Friday. About half of the statewide races in Washington are open contests this year. That includes the governor’s race where Democratic candidate and Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is facing Dave Reichert, a former U.S. Representative and sheriff of King County. Reichert is emphasizing his law enforcement credentials on the campaign trail, while trying to shore up support...
Oct 16, 2024•21 min
Measure 117 on the Oregon ballot would implement a system of ranked choice voting for all federal and statewide races in Oregon by 2028. The Yes campaign says it’s an idea whose time has come. Portland voters passed a new system of government which includes electing the mayor and city council members using RCV. And Multnomah county will soon be choosing elected officials this way as well. Opponents of the measure raise a range of concerns, from county clerks who say there’s no infrastructure or ...
Oct 15, 2024•26 min
Administrative law judge Vadim Mozyrsky and public policy director Meghan Moyer rose to the top of a five-person primary race this spring for the District 1 seat on the Multnomah County Commission. Neither, however, received at least 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff for the general election in November. We’ll hear from both candidates about how they hope to represent the district, which covers all of Multnomah County west of the Willamette River, as well as parts of Southeast Portland. We’ll al...
Oct 15, 2024•27 min
Oregon voters will decide the fate of five statewide ballot measures this November, including Measure 118. Also known as the “Oregon Rebate,” it would impose a 3% tax on a company’s sales above $25 million in Oregon. That money would then be distributed evenly to every Oregonian – roughly $1600 per person – regardless of age or income, starting in 2026 as either direct payments or tax credits. Proponents of Measure 118 claim that it would slash child poverty in the state by half while making lar...
Oct 14, 2024•17 min
While the fate of the nation seems to ride on which of the major party presidential candidates will win the November election, the stakes are arguably as high for Congressional races around the country. The result of a couple dozen of them - including a few in Oregon - will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the House. In the 4th District, Val Hoyle is a first-term incumbent Democrat who’s fending off a challenge from Republican candidate Monique DeSpain. They join us for back-to...
Oct 14, 2024•36 min
New data from the Oregon Department of Education show that students in the state are still struggling with reading, math and science as they still have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. Test results show that less than half of students tested are proficient in English language arts and less than a third are proficient in math. Charlene Williams is the director of ODE. She joins us to share more on the results and what can be done at the state level.
Oct 11, 2024•23 min
For the first time, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been found in Oregon. Emilio DeBess is the state public health veterinarian based at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division. He says the insects are a national concern ”because they can carry and transmit various diseases that can have serious health consequences such as Zika virus, chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.” The insect was found this summer in Jackson County while officials were monitoring other kinds of mosquitoes. Off...
Oct 11, 2024•7 min
It’s an open race this fall for Oregon Secretary of State. The office oversees elections and audits of state agencies, among other responsibilities. Interest in the race has been ignited recently by the discovery that the Oregon DMV accidentally registered hundreds of noncitizens to vote through an error in the state’s Motor Voter system. If voters pass Measure 117 in November, the winner of this race would also be responsible for implementing ranked choice voting for statewide elections. Dennis...
Oct 11, 2024•23 min
In 2022, Portland residents voted to drastically change the city’s form of government. That includes using ranked choice voting to expand the city council from five seats to 12. Another change is the creation of four geographic districts, with voters in each district electing three candidates to represent them on the new council. District 1 is in the far east side of Portland, including neighborhoods such as Hazelwood, Mill Park, Centennial and Parkrose to name a few. On Sep. 30, “Think Out Loud...
Oct 10, 2024•53 min
Amy Tan might be best known for her fiction, including "The Joy Luck Club" and "The Kitchen God’s Wife," but her latest book takes its drama from her backyard bird feeder. In 2019, Tan began drawing birds she saw in nature, particularly the ones who visited her tree-filled backyard in Northern California. The result is a book of reflections, observations, detailed drawings and cartoon sketches called "The Backyard Bird Chronicles." Tan talks to us in front of an audience of students at Franklin ...
Oct 09, 2024•52 min
Rhythm Traders, a Northeast Portland drum shop that has been open for over 30 years, is welcoming two other music businesses into its building. Together, the three businesses hope to create a sort of living room for Portland musicians, and long term stability for their own stores. Ryan Lynn, owner of Eastside Guitar Repair, and Hank Failing, owner of Hank’s Music Exchange, join us to talk about what the new MLK Music Mall could look like.
Oct 08, 2024•17 min
As first reported in The Columbian, a family of therapists has opened a new mental health urgent care clinic in Vancouver. Birchstone Mental Health Urgent Care aims to fill a gap between the emergency room where people experiencing mental health crises often end up and weekly therapy sessions. The clinic does not accept insurance, though it does offer a sliding scale for some patients who cannot afford the $150 fee for a visit, which includes an assessment and referrals for medication management...
Oct 08, 2024•21 min
An ombudsman investigation in Portland found evidence of predatory towing at a group of apartment complexes in the Cully neighborhood. The report says towing practices financially and emotionally harmed residents, most of whom identify as low-income and Latino. It also found that the influx of towing impacted clients and staff at a nearby county-run health clinic and community center. Tony Green is a deputy ombudsman for the city of Portland. He conducted the investigation and joins us with more...
Oct 08, 2024•15 min
For a third time, a federal judge has ruled that Wellpath — one of the nation’s largest for-profit providers of health care to people in prisons and jails — wrongfully deleted emails connected to in-custody deaths. Wellpath operates in at least 10 correctional facilities in Oregon and Washington, and has purged email evidence in at least three wrongful death cases in the Pacific Northwest. Criminal justice reporter Conrad Wilson joins us to discuss the cases.
Oct 07, 2024•11 min
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odorless gas released from the decay of radioactive metals like uranium found in soil, rocks and groundwater. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s also the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., and claims more than 20,000 lives annually. Homes are a major source of radon exposure which testing kits can be used to monitor and determine whether to do mitigation by increasing ventilation or sealing foundation cracks. But it ...
Oct 07, 2024•13 min
Among the U.S. Congressional races that are being closely watched in this year’s general election is Oregon’s 6th Congressional District. It stretches from the suburbs southwest of Portland down into Salem, and includes all of Yamhill and Polk counties, along with portions of Marion, Washington and Clackamas counties. Voters cast their ballots for the first time in this district in 2022 when they narrowly elected Democratic state Representative Andrea Salinas over her GOP challenger, Mike Ericks...
Oct 07, 2024•28 min
The Portland Fermentation Festival – also known as “Stinkfest” – is a celebration of all things fermented, from kimchi and kombucha to pickles and miso. Started in 2009, the festival returned last year after taking a three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once attendees pay admission, all of the featured fermented products are free to sample, trade and take home. We’ll talk with the three “Stinkfest Queens” who organize the festival — Liz Crain is an author who’s written several books a...
Oct 04, 2024•19 min
As buildings like the Keller Auditorium and iconic Portland sights such as the Burnside Bridge are approaching a remodel, could a fresh new look save Portland’s downtown? As argued in The New York Times, cities across the country and world are finding hope in new architecture. Tim Eddy is the founding principal architect and president of Henneberry Eddy. He joins us to share his thoughts on the role architecture plays in downtown revitalization.
Oct 04, 2024•16 min
Salem’s downtown has seen some local businesses shut their doors in recent years, but the Salem Reporter found that the economy is still strong there. Currently the vacancy rate for store fronts stands at 3.8%, and about half of the available spaces have new tenants within 6 months. Abbey McDonald is the homelessness and housing reporter for the publication. She joins us to share more.
Oct 04, 2024•9 min
Native Hawaiian and former Oregonian Lehuauakea has created 10 kapa paintings and digital art posters that will be on display this weekend at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton. Kapa is a textile made from the bark of certain trees after going through a process involving soaking and beating to create the fabric. Lehuauakea’s work for this exhibit focuses on belonging, especially at a time where there are more native Hawaiins living on the U.S. mainland than in Hawai’i. Lehuauake...
Oct 03, 2024•11 min
Names like Lonnie Mayne, Buddy Rose and Dutch Savage may not be familiar to some today, but for fans of Portland’s professional wrestling scene of the 1960s to early '90s, these were some of the headliners that sold out the old Portland Sports Arena. As first reported in Slam Wrestling, two Portlanders have been working to preserve the history of the Pacific Northwest wrestling scene and making sure these names and more aren’t forgotten. Rich Patterson is one of these historians and a video wres...
Oct 03, 2024•16 min
After years of steep increases, overdose death rates appear to be dropping nationwide. Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a 10% decrease in the number of deaths from drug overdoses across the country from April 2023 to April 2024. That number varies significantly by state — while many Eastern states saw double-digit decreases, Oregon saw a 22% increase over that 12-month period. Still, some local health officials say they’re cautiously optimistic. Teresa Everson...
Oct 03, 2024•16 min
The fourth annual Week Without Driving challenge kicked off on Monday. The event was created in 2021 by Disability Rights Washington to highlight the barriers nondrivers face, including those who have disabilities, with using public transit or sidewalks and bike lanes to get around. This year the challenge has expanded to all 50 states with the help of dozens of local and state organizations. And while it’s open to anyone, the organizers hope to recruit elected officials whose policies often sha...
Oct 02, 2024•22 min
Last month, the Oregon Water Resources Commission voted to change the state’s groundwater rules. The new rules would require new water users to prove the water is available before the state will issue permits for wells. Ivan Gall was appointed to head the Water Resources Department last spring. He joins us to talk about the new rules and other challenges facing water resources in Oregon.
Oct 02, 2024•8 min
The Oregon Public Utility Commission has approved rate hike upon rate hike in recent years, and consumers are feeling the pinch. Currently, the list of requests for rate hikes includes those from Idaho Power, which serves about 20,000 customers in Oregon; Portland General Electric, which last had a rate case in 2023; and Northwest Natural and Pacific Power, which both last had a request before the PUC in 2022-2023. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler wrote the agency a formal letter of opposition to the ...
Oct 02, 2024•14 min
On March 20, 1998, police in Salem, Oregon, discovered the body of 28-year-old Harriet Thompson inside her apartment. Within a week, they arrested Jesse Johnson for murder. Johnson drifted west after a troubled childhood in Arkansas and a stint in prison there. In Salem, he was known around town as a homeless drug user. A random encounter with Thompson the week before she was killed changed Johnson’s life forever.Today we’ll listen to the first episode of OPB’s new podcast “Hush.”
Oct 01, 2024•43 min
Washington’s Yakama Nation received both a grant and a $100 million federal loan to build a large solar project. Held up by a series of bureaucratic hurdles, the funding could expire before the government lets the tribal nation access the money. OPB Investigative Editor Tony Schick joins us to explain how bureaucracy is getting in the way of progress.
Sep 30, 2024•15 min
Portland writer Tom Spanbauer is being remembered -- on social media, in articles and in countless conversations with those who knew and loved him, were taught by him or simply loved his books. He died of heart failure on Saturday, Sept. 21 at age 78, after living with Parkinson's for the last eight years, according to his husband, Michael Sage Ricci. Spanbauer was born in Idaho. He moved around the country in his 20s and 30s, but settled in Portland in 1991. Since that time he taught and influe...
Sep 30, 2024•30 min
