Love it or hate it, you have to admit there's a lot of biological diversity in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. And it's still being discovered. A recent journey into the monument's Soda Mountain Wilderness to look for rare plants turned up a rare mushroom instead. It was a kind no one had ever reported seeing before. Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument announced the finding.

The latest survey results on homeless students in Oregon produced some relief, but not much. While there are fewer students reporting being homeless than in previous years, it's still a high number: nearly 22,000. And worse for Southern Oregon, Medford is right up near the top, with more homeless students than the city of Portland. Homelessness is just one of the issues targeted by the Rogue Action Center , and the prime concern of the Maslow Project .

Laika the dog began her life as a stray on the streets of Moscow, but attained a level of immortality as she became the first living being to orbit the Earth, aboard Sputnik 2. The Soviet scientists who sent Laika into space knew one thing for sure: Laika was certain to die. Kurt Caswell's book, Laika's Window , captures this mysterious, sad and haunting tale from the early days of the Space Age.

The old JPR studios were located next to a classroom that hosted many a math class. Some of our former co-workers avoided the area when class was in session; math made them nervous. It's really a thing, says Jennifer Ruef at the University of Oregon. She teaches Education Studies, and says "math trauma" from past learning experiences really happens.

Would you take a full-time job with a place that did not offer some kind of retirement plan? It won't be necessary in Oregon soon. Because the state continues to roll out the OregonSaves program, a plan to put some money away for retirement at a job that offers neither pension nor 401k-style plan. Businesses and individuals can take part, and the Oregon Retirement Savings Board oversees the program.

It started with junk. Items that were finished became a beginning for Brian Scudamore. He began a business collecting junk that just grew and grew. It led to several more, and now he shares what he learned in the book WTF?! (Willing to Fail) .

It's a constant struggle to figure out who will get water in the upper Klamath Basin when not much falls from the sky. It is a matter of continuing tension between tribes, conservationists, and water users. The Klamath Water Users Association finds itself in the middle of many debates over water allocations. And its executive director, Scott White, recently resigned from the post.

It is both unfortunate and a relief to see the speed with which government agencies move in to help the victims of major fires. We saw it after the Carr Fire hit Redding, we're seeing it again with the Camp Fire, which devastated Paradise. Both FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Small Business Administration set up shop soon after the disaster declarations, offering help to both business operators and homeowners. Chelsea Irvine of SBA pays a return visit, along with FEMA rep

What's the weirdest sound you ever heard coming from a car or truck? Those are seldom welcome sounds, because they usually indicate something wrong, or about to go wrong, with the vehicle. Zach Edwards has heard plenty of them over the years in his work repairing cars; he now own Ashland Automotive . And he visits once a month to talk about cars and their... um, issues.

Humorist, journalist and chronicler of the weird Matt Geiger is part David Sedaris, part Dave Berry and part John Waters. His latest book of essays and stories, Astonishing Tales , will have you scratching your head, in between belly laughs. That's what you might expect from a writer who has won both literary awards and a one-hand axe throwing competition.