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Good morning, Northwest.
There’s rarely an easy way to close a school. The West Linn-Wilsonville School District is learning that lesson the hard way.
OPB education reporter Elizabeth Miller leads off this morning’s newsletter with a story on fraying trust in the exurban district.
In other news, Pendleton cracks down on vacant buildings, and federal policy cuts could force hundreds into homelessness in Multnomah County.
Heavy rain is expected to soak western Oregon and Southwest Washington into tomorrow.
Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.
—Bradley W. Parks
Bolton Primary School West Linn, Ore. on Dec. 17, 2025.
Elizabeth Miller / OPB
In West Linn, a tough lesson on how not to close a school
West Linn-Wilsonville School District is a suburban Clackamas County district with 16 schools. Like almost every school district nationwide, West Linn-Wilsonville is facing budget challenges.
This past January, the West Linn-Wilsonville school board voted to keep all primary schools open, rejecting a plan to consolidate the small schools in the district to help save money. But less than a year later, the district is already walking back that motion.
The flip-flopping has left parents frustrated. (Elizabeth Miller)
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A car is crushed by a fallen tree on Northeast 24th Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 17., 2025 in Portland.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
3 things to know this morning
- Officials are warning residents in northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington to once again brace for more rain and strong winds Thursday. (Amanda Linares)
- Starting next year, Pendleton landlords will be required to register vacant buildings with the city and create plans to fill the spaces, or potentially face thousands of dollars in penalties. (Antonio Sierra)
- Multnomah County is facing the loss of more than $25 million in federal funding intended to address the region’s homelessness crisis in the coming year. (Alex Zielinski)
FILE - Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, center, greets volunteers and staff at a warming shelter in Southeast Portland, Feb. 11, 2025.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Headlines from around the Northwest
- Jessica Vega Pederson won’t seek reelection as Multnomah County chair (Dirk VanderHart)
- Oregon’s Measure 110 programs for substance use treatment have unclear results, audit finds (Amelia Templeton)
- Investigation discredits former equity director’s claims of racial discrimination against Bend (Kathryn Styer Martínez)
- Ex-West Linn doctor charged with 5 more sexual abuse crimes (Holly Bartholomew)
- Eugene school district prepares for $30 million in cuts this year in hopes of long-term stability (Rebecca Hansen-White)
- US Fish and Wildlife sees nearly 20% drop in staff since Trump took office (Mia Maldonado)
Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation
“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):
- Beaverton schools official on how district is supporting students and families amid concerns over ICE activity
Work continues on the new base and fountain for the Thompson Elk statue in downtown Portland, Ore., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
A Portland statue has been out of the public eye since 2020. It could return in the spring
The Thompson Elk statue was removed from its spot in downtown Portland after someone sprayed it with graffiti and built fires in the fountain five years ago.
An alphabet soup of organizations overseeing the project has contributed to the timeline required for the statue’s restoration.
As of yesterday, Portland officials are hopeful the elk will make its return in a few months. (Kristian Foden-Vencil)
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