Think Out Loud

Former timber town in rural Oregon faces extreme debt

By Sage Van Wing (OPB)
May 13, 2026 1 p.m.

Broadcast: Wednesday, May 13

A series of cascading problems, including financial mismanagement, industry failures, and questionable city contracts, has pushed Lakeview, Oregon, into millions of dollars of debt it can’t pay off.

Like many former timber towns, Lakeview has struggled to rebound from the collapse of the logging mills that once powered its economy and helped the community survive in an isolated corner of Southern Oregon.

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OPB reporter Bryce Dole joins us to explain how Lakeview got into this predicament and what residents are trying to do to get out of it.

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