Oregon Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

Bricks Could Rain Down On Your Head During The Next Major Quake. These Proposals Want To Fix That

By Tom Banse February 22, 2019

Brick or unreinforced concrete buildings could crumble in an earthquake, like this one in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011. CREDIT: SCHWEDE66 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS - TINYURL.COM/YCFSUL7Z

Thousands of old brick, stone and concrete buildings in the Pacific Northwest could crumble in the next strong earthquake. To face that challenge, measures pending in the Oregon and Washington legislatures would set up grant programs to help owners of dangerous buildings make seismic safety upgrades. Read More

Oregon Legislative Effort To Block Offshore Drilling Gets One Step Closer To Passage

By Dirk VanderHart February 21, 2019

Offshore oil rig in California. CREDIT: SELBE LYNN/FLICKR

Oregon’s rugged coast is poised to grow even more inhospitable to oil and gas interests in coming days under a bill that passed the state Senate on Tuesday. Continue Reading Oregon Legislative Effort To Block Offshore Read More

Utility Plans 1st-Of-Its-Kind Renewable Energy Site In Eastern Oregon

By Courtney Flatt February 19, 2019

A wind mill supplies water to a stock tank, surrounded by wind turbines of the Smoky Hills Wind Project near Wilson, Kansas. CREDIT: ORLIN WAGNER/AP

Eastern Oregon may soon be home to a next-generation renewable energy project. Portland General Electric is making plans to build the country’s first large-scale energy facility that combines wind turbines, solar panels and battery storage. Read More

‘What If They Want You Dead?’ Bearing Arms For Self-Defense From The Political Left

By NWPB News February 11, 2019

L.A. Watson-Haley shows off his new T-shirt at The Liberal Gun Club’s winter range day on Jan. 26, 2019 in Portland, Ore. CREDIT: JONATHAN LEVINSON/OPB

With the threat of right-wing violence on the rise, some activists on the left are taking a page out of the 1960s civil rights movement: armed self-defense. Continue Reading ‘What If They Want You Dead?’ Bearing Arms For Self-Defense Read More

Want Proof Climate Change Is Here? Look At Oregon In 2018, Report Says

By David Steves February 5, 2019

Ben Thorpe (left) and Shavon Haynes measure the snowpack on Mount Ashland. CREDIT: JES BURNS/OPB

Climate change is playing out in significant ways in Oregon, with evidence in the form of more severe wildfires, lower summer stream flows and diminishing winter snowpacks, according to the state’s fourth annual climate assessment report. Read More

Oregon’s Grant County Keeps Its United Nations Ban. Leaders Have Other Ideas Against Big Government

By Tom Banse February 2, 2019

Former Grant County Supervisor Mark Webb has challenged the anti-United Nations and other anti-big government initiatives. CREDIT: TOM BANSE/N3

In 2002, Grant County, Oregon banned the United Nations by citizen initiative. The referendum wasn't close: 58 percent of voters said to keep the United Nations out of Eastern Oregon. The sponsors asserted the United Nations sought to impose "world taxation," take away guns and private property and bring about "one world controlled education." Read More

Amid Measles Outbreak, Washington Lawmakers Look To Change Who Can Opt Out Of Vaccines

By Derek Wang January 31, 2019

Jocelyn Smith cares for her 11-month-old son, Mason at their home in Camas, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Smith has been afraid to take Mason out of the house during a measles outbreak in southwest Washington because he is too young to receive the measles vaccine. CREDIT: GILLIAN FLACCUS/AP

As the number of cases and geographic reach expands in Southwest Washington’s measles crisis, state lawmakers are looking to revisit who can opt out of vaccinations. Continue Reading Amid Measles Outbreak, Washington Read More

As Count Rises, Health Officials Say Measles Outbreak Could Last Months

By Kristian Foden-Vencil January 29, 2019

A sign prohibiting all children under 12 and unvaccinated adults stands at the entrance to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash. CREDIT: GILLIAN FLACCUS/AP

As the number of confirmed measles cases in Southwest Washington and Oregon grew to 36 cases, health authorities said Monday that their biggest concern is low vaccination rates in schools and the possibility that the crisis could stretch out for months. Read More

Oregon Bottle Deposit System Hits 90 Percent Redemption Rate

By Cassandra Profita January 22, 2019

A row of sparkling clean reverse vending machines greet customers at the grand opening of the Medford BottleDrop center. CREDIT: JES BURNS/EARTHFIX

Oregon’s bottle deposit system is recycling more containers than ever before despite major disruptions in global recycling markets. Continue Reading Oregon Bottle Deposit System Hits 90 Percent Redemption RateRead More

Washington May Rope In Ranchers To Help With Wildfires — As Oregon And Idaho Already Do

By Tom Banse January 18, 2019

A water tender for fighting wildfires is parked next to rancher Charlie Lyon’s barn near Mountain Home, Idaho. CREDIT: JESSICA ROBINSON/N3

Washington may soon copy a rural wildfire fighting strategy that Oregon, Idaho and Nevada already employ: letting private ranchers attack range fires before the blazes get big. Continue Reading Washington May Rope In Read More

Banned Fish Trap Returns To Columbia As Sustainable Way To Catch Salmon

By Cassandra Profita January 16, 2019

Fish trap operators can pick out the hatchery salmon for harvest and release the wild salmon so they can return to their spawning grounds. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA/OPB

For years, Oregon and Washington have been searching for the best way to catch more hatchery fish while letting the wild fish return unharmed to their spawning grounds. Now, one group says they’ve found it. Continue Reading Banned Fish Read More

Oregon Starts Killing Sea Lions At Willamette Falls

By Cassandra Profita January 9, 2019

Sea lions have been eating steelhead and other fish at Willamette Falls in ever greater numbers.Photo courtesy of ODFW

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has started killing sea lions below Willamette Falls to protect a fragile run of winter steelhead. Continue Reading Oregon Starts Killing Sea Lions At Willamette FallsRead More

3 Dead After Commercial Fishing Boat Capsizes Off Central Oregon Coast

By NWPB News January 9, 2019

Newport, Ore., examine the wreckage of the Mary B. II, a commercial crabbing that capsized while crossing Yaquina Bay Bar off the coast of Newport, Ore. Three crew members died in the accident. CREDIT: US COAST GUARD

A commercial crabbing boat capsized in rough waters off the Oregon coast, killing the three men aboard and sending a shock wave through a seafaring community already struggling from a monthlong delay to the annual crabbing season. Continue Read More

Environmental Groups Withdraw From Negotiations To Update Oregon Wolf Management Plan

By Tony Schick January 7, 2019

A photo of a male wolf from the Sherman Pack captured by a camera trap. CREDIT: CONSERVATION NORTHWEST

Environmental groups have withdrawn from an effort to update Oregon’s plan for managing gray wolves days before a final meeting of stakeholders, throwing the future of negotiations over wolf management and protections into question. Read More

School Closures & Delays

By NWPB News January 7, 2019

Latest school closures and delays from our area. You can also report closures and delays on this page by filling out the form located at the bottom of the page. Continue Reading School Closures & DelaysRead More

Emergency Medical Responders Confront Racial Bias

By Kristian Foden-Vencil January 3, 2019

In a recent study of patients treated by emergency medical responders in Oregon, black patients were 40 percent less likely to get pain medicine than their white peers. Why? Continue Reading Emergency Medical Responders Confront Racial BiasRead More

Umatilla’s Owl Man Is Bringing Burrowing Owls Back From The Brink

By NWPB News January 2, 2019

Burrowing owl populations are declining each year at a rate of 2 to 3 percent.CREDIT: NICK FISHER/OPB

A decommissioned chemical weapons depot and a lone biologist might be the last hope for a population of burrowing owls. Continue Reading Umatilla’s Owl Man Is Bringing Burrowing Owls Back From The BrinkRead More

Oregon’s New Equal Pay Act Goes Into Full Effect In 2019

By Kristian Foden-Vencil December 31, 2018

In this photo taken May 21, 2016, a sign calling for equitable pay in soccer is displayed at a Portland Thorns women’s soccer game at Providence Park in Portland. CREDIT: Anne M. Peterson/AP

There are already federal and state laws that try to shrink the pay gap among genders. But this new Oregon state law expands gender protections to include things like race, religion, marital status or age. Continue Reading Oregon’s New Equal Pay Read More

Oregon Adventurer Becomes 1st Known Person To Cross Antarctica Solo

By NWPB News December 26, 2018

On Wednesday, Colin O'Brady became the first person to successfully traverse Antarctica from coast-to-coast alone and without wind assistance. He documented much of the unprecedented feat on his social media. CREDIT: COLIN O'BRADY/INSTAGRAM

Colin O’Brady is a professional endurance athlete, a motivational speaker, a world record holder and, now, the first person in history to cross the continent of Antarctica alone and without wind assistance. He spoke with Oregon Public Broadcasting ahead of the finish. Read More

West Coast Fishery Rebounds After Years Of Conservation Efforts

By Cassandra Profita December 16, 2018

Groundfish trawlers will soon be allowed to catch more fish as depleted populations recover from overfishing. CREDIT: MICHAEL BENDIXEN/OPB

Federal fishery managers are increasing the catch limits for several West Coast species that were overfished and severely restricted for years. Surveys show depleted populations of yellow eye and bocaccio rockfish, cow cod and ocean perch — all classified as groundfish — are rebounding decades ahead of schedule. Read More

From Oregon To Connecticut, Communities Face A Shortage Of Police

By NPR News December 12, 2018

Officer Christian Bruckhart collects used needles from a vacant site in his patrol area in New Haven, Conn. CREDIT: RYAN CARON KING/CONNECTICUT PUBLIC RADIO

The severity of the officer shortage varies by location, but the national trend is clear: Since 2013, the total number of working sworn officers has fallen by about 23,000. The number of officers per capita is down even more sharply, from 2.42 per 1,000 residents in 1997 to 2.17 officers per 1,000 in 2016. Read More

Bill To Allow Killing Columbia River Sea Lions To Help Salmon Heads To President Trump’s Desk

By Cassandra Profita December 12, 2018

Congress has agreed to make it easier to kill sea lions threatening fragile runs of salmon in the Northwest. A bill approved by the House this week changes the Marine Mammal Protection Act to lift some of the restrictions on killing sea lions to protect salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries. Read More

‘Bundyville’ Tells A Story Of Anti-Government Extremism Set In The Rural West, Says Podcast Host

By Scott Leadingham December 11, 2018

'Bundyville' is a seven-part podcast from Longreads and Oregon Public Boradcasting, hosted by Leah Sottile. CREDIT: Illustration by Zoë van Dijk for Longreads

Journalist Leah Sottile covered the 2016 Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation and its aftermath with the Bundy family. This year she released a deeply reported podcast about the Bundys – called 'Bundyville,' a collaboration between Longreads and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Read More

Lagging Northwest Apple Exports Worry Growers And Packing Houses As Tariff Uncertainty Continues

By Anna King December 7, 2018

With harvest wrapped up, the regional apple industry is in prime packing time. But growers and shippers are nervous. The fruit isn’t moving to international markets as quick as usual because of the trade wars. Read More

Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way Home

By Jes Burns December 6, 2018

OSU's Maryam Kamran is conducting research on salmon olfactory homing in an effort to prevent hatchery fish on the Elk River from straying. CREDIT: JES BURNS/OPB

Apparently, salmon don’t like the smell of watercress. The aroma of shrimp doesn’t pique their interest either. And the fragrance, eu de steelhead? A definite no-go. Continue Reading Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way HomeRead More

Washington Utility Regulators Deny Acquisition Of Avista By Canadian Firm

By Doug Nadvornick December 6, 2018

Washington utility regulators say the Canadian utility Hydro One may not acquire the Spokane-based utility Avista. In a statement, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission said "the proposed merger does not serve the public interest." Read More

Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get Worse

By Cassandra Profita November 28, 2018

The Eagle Creek Fire as seen from the Cascade Locks Hatchery. To keep hatchery fall chinook from dying because of the fire, Oregon officials released them early. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Northwest is already seeing the effects of climate change, according to a new national climate assessment. Continue Reading Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get WorseRead More

Dread The Dark? West Coast Lawmakers Say It’s Time To Stop The Clock ‘Fall Back’ Routine

By Tom Banse November 20, 2018

Changing the clock for the first Daylight Saving Time in 1918. CREDIT: U.S. SENATE HISTORICAL OFFICE

According to some Oregon and Washington legislators, it's high time to get rid of the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks. This past month, 60 percent of California voters approved Proposition 7, a ballot proposition to make daylight saving time permanent. Read More

Officials Worry ‘World’s Smallest Harbor’ In Depoe Bay Could Shrivel Unless Dredged

By Tom Banse November 17, 2018

City leaders in Depoe Bay are anxiously awaiting word if silt accumulating at the south side (image right) of their harbor will be dredged in 2019. CREDIT: CITY OF DEPOE BAY

If you've traveled the central Oregon coast, you might remember the signs marking Depoe Bay's claim to fame: the "World's Smallest Harbor." But now that harbor is getting even smaller because of accumulating silt. City officials are on tenterhooks because of the problem. Silt buildup renders the fuel dock inaccessible at low tide. Read More

In Eastern Oregon, Pendleton Has Become A Drone-Testing Hub, With Hopes For More

By Tom Banse November 12, 2018

The latest variant of the Cubic Ares unmanned reconnaissance drone during flight testing at Pendleton on October 28. CREDIT: CUBIC CORP.

A dream to make rural Pendleton, Oregon into a drone testing mecca is becoming very real. It's so real, in fact, that the city-owned airport has run out of hangar space to rent to global aerospace companies. Now, the Pendleton airport is seeking millions more in public funding to help expand. Read More

Oregon May Be Over-Hunting Cougars — Which Could Cause More Conflicts

By Erin Ross November 9, 2018

Problem encounters with cougars have increased in Oregon's Willamette Valley. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Groups of Oregonians, particularly hound hunters, say that Oregon’s cougar population is growing out of control. Cougar advocates, on the other hand, say that Oregon is over-hunting cougars, which research suggests can lead to an increase in problem encounters. Read More

Oregon Re-Elects Kate Brown As Governor

By Lauren Dake November 7, 2018

Gov. Kate Brown celebrates her Election Night victory at the Democratic Party of Oregon 2018 election party on Nov. 6, 2018 in Portland. CREDIT: JONATHAN LEVINSON/OPB

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown defeated Republican state Rep. Knute Buehler in the race to see who will hold Oregon’s highest office. Continue Reading Oregon Re-Elects Kate Brown As GovernorRead More

Lost No More: Coho Salmon Return To Oregon’s Lostine River After 40 Years

By Courtney Flatt November 2, 2018

Coho salmon have returned to Oregon's Lostine River in late 2018. CREDIT: RICK SWART/OREGON DEPT. OF FISH & WILDLIFE

For the last 40 years, something has been missing from Oregon’s Lostine River: coho salmon. Now, 42 coho have made it to the waters in the last two weeks. Continue Reading Lost No More: Coho Salmon Return To Oregon’s Lostine River Read More

Troubled Oregon Dairy Announces Shut Down

By Courtney Flatt October 26, 2018

A controversial dairy in Oregon has been cited for numerous manure and waste violations. Courtesy of Friends of Family Farmers

A troubled mega-dairy in Oregon has announced its plans to shut down. After racking up multiple environmental violations, Lost Valley Farm’s owner has been fired and a trustee wants to sell the property. Continue Reading Troubled Oregon Dairy Announces Shut DownRead More

ICE Removes Immigration Detainees From Federal Prisons, Including Washington; 3 Remain In Oregon

By Conrad Wilson October 21, 2018

The federal corrections center in Sheridan, Ore. CREDIT: OPB

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has all but abandoned its use of federal prisons to house detainees. Three ICE detainees that remain are inside the federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon. Continue Reading ICE Read More

Reunification 101: Some Northwest Schools Moving Beyond Emergency Drills And Toward Aftermath

By Tom Banse October 15, 2018

Teacher Jeremy Thomas holds up an all-accounted-for sign after the school evacuation. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / N3

It's a sad fact of life that K-12 students must practice for calamities such as earthquakes, fires, lockdowns or active shooters. Now a few public schools in the region are roping in parents and guardians to practice for the aftermath. Read More

Your Word Of The Day Is ‘Torrefaction.’ First-Of-Its Kind Plant To Open In Eastern Oregon

By Tom Banse October 7, 2018

Biomass Operations Specialist John Rowell stands next to a boiler that awaits installation pending permits. TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

Construction begins soon in eastern Oregon for the first commercial-scale "torrefaction" facility in the country. If you don't know what that word means, you're in good company. But the process itself isn't all that exotic. Think of how your coffee beans get crispy. Read More

Public Lands Grazing Helps Ranchers, Sage Grouse, Study Says

By Courtney Flatt October 6, 2018

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. Bureau of Land Management

Grazing restrictions on public lands may have unintended consequences for greater sage grouse, according to a recent study. The imperiled birds depend on habitat on both public and private lands, and much of that habitat can be lost when ranching operations go under. Read More

Oregon Voters To Decide The Fate Of State’s Sanctuary Law

By Conrad Wilson October 4, 2018

The Oregon capital building CREDIT:CHRIS LEHMAN / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Oregon’s sanctuary law for immigration is simple on paper. It says no law enforcement agency can use its money, equipment or personnel for the purpose of detecting or apprehending people whose only violation is being in the country unlawfully. Continue Read More

New U.S. – Mexico – Canada Trade Deal Helps Northwest Agriculture, With Much Uncertainty Remaining

By Anna King October 1, 2018

Winter wheat is harvested in a field farmed by Dalton and Carson North near McCracken, Kansas. CREDIT: CHARLIE RIEDEL/AP PHOTO

The new trade agreement signed Sunday at midnight called the USMCA short for the U.S. Mexico, Canada Agreement by the Trump Administration, could change things on some Northwest farms. Farmers are hopeful this new agreement will lift their commodity prices -- many of which are low right now. Read More

Report: Salem Knew For Years That Algae Could Threaten Water

By Dirk VanderHart September 17, 2018

File photo. Low levels of cyanotoxins were found in the Salem, Oregon, drinking water supply due to an algae bloom in Detroit Lake. CREDIT - SHEILA SUND/TINYURL.COM/YBQ8VPHD

When toxins from algae made Salem’s drinking water potentially hazardous earlier this year, the city was unprepared to deal with both the public relations fallout from the breach and the more concrete matter of helping citizens access clean water. Read More

Hunt Planned For Cougar Suspected Of Killing Oregon Hiker

By Erin Ross September 13, 2018

This March 8, 2006, file photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shows a cougar in the Beulah Wildlife Management Unit in Oregon's Malheur County. Oregon authorities say a dead hiker whose body was recovered this week was likely killed by a cougar, marking the first verified fatal attack by a wild cougar in the state and the second in the Pacific Northwest in 2018. CREDIT: BRIAN WOLFER/ODFW/AP

The search is on for the cougar suspected of killing a hiker near Mount Hood. It is the first confirmed fatal attack by a wild mountain lion in the state. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to use mules and dogs to search for the mountain lion. Read More

Climate change might lead to bigger populations of hungrier insects. This could have serious consequences for grain-growing regions in the Northwest and across the world. Continue Reading Insects Could Eat Twice As Much Wheat By The End Of The Read More