Category Archives: OPB – Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Health Authority To Eclipse Visitors: Beware Of Harmful Algae Blooms In Water

Eclipse campers might be tempted to find an alternative source for drinking water in lakes or rivers, but the Oregon Health Authority is warning against that idea. That’s because even a camper’s best efforts with water filtering and boiling won’t kill blue-green algae blooms that can cause diarrhea in humans and are potentially lethal for […]
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Migrant Summer School – OPB’s Think Out Loud

In Medford, Oregon, a summer school program for migrant students has grown rapidly in recent years, with record enrollment this year. We hear more about the Medford School District’s migrant summer school on the last day of its high school program from Michael Torguson, Coordinator of Migrant Education at Central Medford High School, and student Evelyn Villa. […]
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Opioid Lawsuit | Eclipse Cell Coverage | Portland’s Tech Scene – OPB’s Think Out Loud

Multnomah County has announced that it is suing multiple pharmaceutical companies, accusing them of pushing doctors to over-prescribe opioids. The lawsuit is modeled after the lawsuits against the tobacco industry for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking. Gaps in cellphone and internet coverage have long caused problems for some rural communities in Oregon. […]
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Where Have All The Franklin’s Bumblebees Gone? 

The last person who found Franklin’s bumblebee in the field isn’t giving up on the bee. He still makes an annual pilgrimage to Mount Ashland in hopes it will make an appearance once again. If an octogenarian entomologist could be a superhero, Robbin Thorp might be a good candidate. He moves slowly along the Pacific […]
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Learning About West Nile To Save Sage Grouse 

Mosquitoes can carry dangerous diseases — like the West Nile virus. Turns out, the mosquito-transmitted virus is deadly for one of the West’s most iconic birds: the sage grouse. Deep in Oregon’s sagebrush country, the wind picks up. A storm turns the sky gunmetal gray. But biologist Emily Weidner isn’t too worried about the possible […]
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Study: Probiotics Can Help Trees Clean Up Toxic Waste

Humans like their yogurt and new research indicates the trees that clean up toxic waste stand to benefit from probiotics too. Poplar trees clean groundwater by taking up the carcinogen trichloroethylene, or TCE, and breaking it down into harmless salts. TCE is one of the most common groundwater pollutants in the country and is found in multiple sites in the Pacific […]
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Popular Pesticides Keep Bumblebees From Laying Eggs

A new study is adding to evidence that a popular class of pesticides can harm wild bees, like bumblebees. Wild bees, such as bumblebees, don’t get as much love as honeybees, but they should. They play just as crucial a role in pollinating many fruits, vegetables, and wildflowers, and compared to managed colonies of honeybees, they’re in […]
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Redmond Homelessness – OPB’s Think Out Loud

Hundreds of homeless people living on the agricultural land east of Redmond may be displaced as the local government prepares to close roads and clean up the land, which has been the site of illegal dumping and illegal dirt roads. We talk to Barry Hebert, social services director for St. Vincent de Paul of Redmond, […]
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Teen Pregnancy Prevention – OPB’s Think Out Loud

The federal government has cut a five-year program aimed at reducing teen pregnancy. Jenny Withycombe was in charge of implementing the program for Portland Public Schools. Source: News Roundtable | Obesity And Prejudice | Teen Pregnancy Prevention . Radio | OPB

Warm Springs Reservation Fire Grows To 34,000 Acres

The Nena Springs Fire is burning in dry grass and brush on steep terrain. More than 240 firefighters are working to contain a human-caused fire burning approximately 34,000 acres on the Warm Springs Reservation as of Saturday afternoon. Source: Warm Springs Reservation Fire Grows To 34,000 Acres . News | OPB