Think Out Loud

After the deadly chemical tank rupture that killed 11 people last Tuesday at a paper mill in Longview, questions continue to loom over the community — including what environmental impacts the chemical spill could have on the city and nearby Columbia River, as well as the potential cause of this disaster. It’s Washington’s deadliest workplace incident in nearly a century.   O...

For more than 20 years, British author and Cambridge University professor Robert Macfarlane has garnered international acclaim for his writings on nature and our relationships to it, from awe-inspiring wonder and life-giving sustenance to relentless extraction and exploitation. For his book, “Is a River Alive?”, Macfarlane explored the idea of rivers as animate beings, a concept that i...

In 2017, 96-year-old Mary Armington took a trip from her home in Florida to Astoria to visit her son, Dr. William Armington. As a radiologist at the time at Columbia Memorial Hospital, Dr. Armington had diagnosed cancer in hundreds of patients, some of whom had delayed getting care because of financial hardships.    So Mary decided to help by donating $50,000 to start a fund for cancer p...

 The Pacific Northwest chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture hosts an annual regional tree climbing competition in a Portland park, where arborists can compete for the chance to showcase their skills at a national and international level. This year, 35 climbers will compete in five events over two days.   Terry Flanagan is the chair of the Tree Climbing Competition Commit...

 Last week , Portland City Councilors passed a new policy barring law enforcement of all kinds from wearing masks. The policy itself would also direct the Portland Police Bureau to investigate someone who engages in law-enforcement activity, such as detaining someone, and doesn’t show proper credentials.   The ordinance passed in an 8-4 vote, and was introduced by Councilor Sameer...

A decade ago, a building in Portland's Nob Hill neighborhood exploded in a gas leak and was consumed by a fire soon after. That building was home to Portland Bagelworks and the eyewear shop Fetch, as well as Art Work Rebels Tattoo Studio, which was located in the building for seven years . Artist Jeff P, who now co-owns Tattoo Smile, was an artist at the shop when this happened. After the dust set...

Around 44,000 people died in a gun-related injury in the U.S. in 2024, according to a new report from Pew Research. Suicides make up a majority of those deaths at 62%. But in Oregon, that number is much higher , with 80% of all firearm deaths being a suicide. On top of that, previous reporting has also shown that some of the state’s most rural areas have the highest rates of gun-related suic...

Eleven people died after a chemical tank holding hundreds of thousands of corrosive chemicals ruptured last Tuesday at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is leading the investigation as questions mount over workplace safety and the caustic stew of chemicals and equipment maintenance within the paper mill.    Washington state’s deadliest wo...

his year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Specifically, it is when the Continental Congress, the provisional governing body of the 13 colonies, adopted the Declaration of Independence.   It goes without saying that much has changed since then. But what would our founding fathers think of our society today? How should history, both past events and current, be t...

The Portland Business Journal reported this week that hotels in downtown Portland are still struggling years later to recover from the pandemic. According to the commercial real estate analytics firm CoStar, the occupancy rate for downtown Portland hotels was roughly 62% last year – nearly 10% less than their pre-pandemic occupancy levels in 2019. In another ominous sign of the market’...

The only coalition in Oregon that supports aging members of LGBTQ+ communities is expanding its reach.   Over the past decade, the Oregon LGBTQ+ Aging Coalition has conducted a survey on the needs of older LGBTQ+ adults and helped pass legislation that aims to protect queer seniors living in long-term care facilities. It’s currently a volunteer-run effort, but a new collaboration with t...

The train-related traffic delays in Portland — especially in the city’s inner east side — have gotten worse and more frequent in recent years. As rail transportation consultant Bill Burgel told Willamette Week, that’s in large part because the average length of a freight train has doubled. Trains used to be 7,500 feet, and now they’re commonly 15,000 feet or more.&nbs...

Straddling Multnomah and Clackamas counties, the Willamette National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Oregon for military veterans, their spouses and dependent children. Even though it won’t reach capacity for 15 years, The Department of Veterans Affairs is already planning for expansion by possibly acquiring roughly 300 acres of farmland southeast of Salem.   Per reporting by the Sa...

 “Failure to protect” charges are criminal prosecutions where one parent is accused of allowing another parent, or spouse, to abuse a child. For many, such as Deborah Albin, they may also be survivors of abuse, but are unable to raise that within their defense. Albin’s significant other, Andrew Oaks, is facing second-degree murder charges for their daughter Opal’s deat...

 Eddie Bynum Jr., who raps professionally as Mikey Vegaz, is a very busy man. He just released a new track called Rose City Goats with Damion Lillard and Cool Nutz. And he’s just opened a new restaurant called “ The EAST by Trap Kitchen in the central eastside. He’s also active in nonprofit work and community efforts, including Rose City Jam, a monthly basketball night for y...

Conversations about mental health may include adolescents or children, but they rarely focus on babies or toddlers. A graduate program at Portland State University is teaching child care professionals to do just that.   The Infant/Toddler Mental Health graduate certificate is designed to help educators, social workers, counselors and other early childhood specialists foster strong connections...

 Early Tuesday morning, a chemical tank ruptured at a paper mill in Southwest Washington, killing at least two people and injuring eight more.  At least nine more people are still unaccounted for as of Wednesday morning. Hundreds of community members held a vigil Tuesday evening to honor those affected by the tragedy.  Recovery efforts were suspended yesterday evening due to the ong...

  LONG SYNOPSIS: Playing in a park or on a street corner isn’t new for musician Johnny Franco. Franco and his brother Domenico are buskers, and during the pandemic they started taking requests from people who wanted to be serenaded from outside their windows with concerts. Now, with Curbside Serenade, the two have teamed up with other musicians to organize regular outdoor concerts...

There is a lot that goes into a cup a coffee. From beans, to roast, to grind, to water and even temperature, it is incredibly difficult to make one cup of coffee the exact same as the next. But researchers at the University of Oregon may have found a way to make a cup of coffee more consistent. Chris Hendon is a chemist and associate professor at UO. His previous research illuminated how spraying...

A new map from the advocacy nonprofit Beyond Toxics aims to help people identify what kinds of pesticide have been sprayed in communities over the last decade. The nonprofit partnered with the University of Oregon Infographics Lab to compile notices of intent to apply pesticides on state, county and private forestland from 2014 to 2024. Users can filter by location, year, the type of chemical and...

Portland’s Lloyd Center is scheduled to close Aug. 8 after more than 65 years in business.   The current owner, Urban Renaissance Group, plans to demolish the mall to make way for housing, businesses and a new music venue. Groups such as Save Lloyd Center Mall and the Save Lloyd Ice Coalition are holding out hope that a city hearing in June could prevent the mall’s closure, but it...

Central Oregon recorded a nearly 20% drop in people experiencing homelessness compared to last year. That’s according to an annual Point in Time count that took place this year from Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.   Eliza Wilson is the chair of the Homeless Leadership Coalition in Central Oregon and the execu...

Oregonians overwhelmingly voted against Measure 120, a proposal meant to address funding shortfalls for the Oregon Department of Transportation.   Known as the gas tax, the measure would have increased the state’s gas tax by 6 cents per gallon, temporarily hike payroll tax, and double fees for registrations and titles. Without the tax, the agency only has funding to support core service...

The housing crisis is worse than ever, and it’s one that many elected representatives and nonprofits have been working on for some time. Last month Gov. Kotek signed a package of housing related bills into law. They allow cities to expand their urban growth boundaries, protect existing affordable housing and provide financing to encourage the construction of new housing. Estimates put the ne...

A recent study by Pew Research showed that half of U.S. adults under 50 get health and wellness information from influencers on social media and podcasts. One in five people surveyed said the information they get from influencers is different than the information from medical professionals. Ashley Hass is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Portland, who focuses on digital mar...