New strain of hazelnut blight overcomes disease resistance in Oregon orchards
An OSU plant pathologist joins us with more details about the new strain and what it could mean for Oregon's hazelnut industry.
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Gov. Kotek’s housing bill still leaves some barriers for new apartments
SB 1537 will make advances for more housing by allowing cities to expand their urban growth boundaries. We'll hear from a policy analyst on how a previous iteration of this build could have promoted more development of multi-family households.
Pendleton singer-songwriter James Dean Kindle on creating new ‘Trailmix’ album
Singer-songwriter James Dean Kindle was born and raised in Pendleton, Oregon. He’s been making music for decades and says he likes to blur the boundaries between country, folk, jazz and Latin genres. He may be best known for his work with the Eastern Oregon Playboys, but he’s about to release his first solo album.
Quagga mussels will be catastrophic for wildlife and water systems, says invasive species coordinator
Rick Boatner, invasive species coordinator at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, says inspections and monitoring could keep the quagga out of the Columbia River Basin, but probably not for more than a few years. Once they get in, he says quagga mussels will forever change how we use water in Oregon.
Linn County will launch mobile mental health services
The Mobile Crisis Intervention Team will be able to work with residents throughout the county and assist in a crisis situation.
Southern Oregon now boasts world’s largest dark sky sanctuary
A large swath of land spanning 2.5 million acres in Southern Oregon was recently named the world's largest Dark Sky Sanctuary.
As Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek puts freeway tolls on hold, others share their thoughts
On Monday, Governor Tina Kotek announced that she would be shelving a tolling project for Interstates 5 and 205. We'll hear from an Oregon state representative and from a climate justice advocate on the wider implications of this decision.
USDA issues natural disaster designation for some Oregon counties
Extreme weather events in recent years have affected Oregon growers. Farmers in some counties are eligible to apply for emergency assistance.
Grants Pass works on sustainability plan, struggles to fund it
The plan includes projects like installing electric vehicle charging stations downtown and adding solar panels at city-owned landfills.
Grants Pass ordinance would regulate homeless service providers in city parks
The Grants Pass City Council recently passed an ordinance limiting the amount of time homeless service organizations can spend helping unhoused people in city parks and on other public property.
Native seeds stored in the soil can help restore natural landscapes
Ecological restoration projects often require thousands of seeds or seedlings. But there's another approach that's gaining momentum, especially on Tribal lands: introducing water or fire to a landscape and then letting long-buried seeds come back to life. Portland-based freelance journalist Josephine Woolington wrote about this recently for High Country News and joins us with more details.
ODA proposal could raise license fees for hundreds of animal rescue organizations
Under a new proposal from the Oregon Department of Agriculture, animal rescue organizations across the state could soon be paying thousands of extra dollars in license fees.
Monthlong Oregon legislative session wraps up with passage of key bills
We get an update from OPB's politics team about the key developments in the end of the monthlong Oregon legislative session.
How Washington tracks truant students
The state has laws in place that allow for school districts to work with kids and understand why they’re missing school so often.
Portland General Electric could raise rates by 7% in new proposal
Portland General Electric is proposing a rate increase, if approved, utility prices could go up 7% for residential customers. We'll hear from the utility company and an advocacy org to learn more about the rate increases.
Ashland city council rejects millions in state funds, votes to close homeless shelter
City councilors in Ashland voted 5-1 this week to close its 24/7 emergency homeless shelter. The city opened the shelter last August.
Portland festival celebrates women in brewing industry
SheBrew is a one-day festival celebrating women in the industry. Now in its ninth year, the family-friendly event draws professional brewers and homebrewers alike.
Eugene school board won’t renew embattled superintendent contract
The departure comes a month after Eugene Weekly broke the news that Dey was under investigation following complaints of discrimination and retaliation.
Study co-led by Oregon professor finds discrimination and community support can impact trans health
Zachary DuBois, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, joins us to talk about the recent findings in research he co-led, as well as the broader effort to explore trans resilience and health across the U.S.
Portland musician Hannah Glavor performs new songs
Hannah Glavor’s music used to lean toward singer-songwriter folk. But her newly released single, "Otherside," shows an indie rock side to the Portland musician. She writes about loss and hope, and about darkness and the light on the other side. Hannah Glavor joins us in the studio to perform songs from her new album.
Oregon bill would limit campaign donations
A bill if approved would pose limits on campaign donations starting in 2027. We'll hear from Honest Elections Oregon on the impacts this could have for the state.
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