In the last few years, Portland has tried a number of different tactics to make responding to 911 calls more efficient and faster. Not all of them have worked. In 2021, the Fire Bureau added the Community Health Division to shift its response, so that not every 911 call gets a full engine and ambulance. Though the Community Health Division and its Community Connect program have since been eliminated, a new audit of the program reveals much about how the bureau can best support programs like Portland Street Response and Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT). KC Jones, audit services director, joins us to talk about the report.

Teachers with ADHD or autism are able to understand and advocate for the specific needs of their students. But, they can also face challenges when seeking resources to teach those same students. And, it can be difficult to get accommodations that help neurodivergent teachers do their best work at school. Alex Newson is a doctoral candidate in special education at the University of Oregon. Kathy Paxton-Williams is an English as a Second Language teacher in Portland. Madeline Numbers is a student support teacher in Vancouver. They join us to discuss their experiences with the education system. 

The West continues to be shaped by water issues. In Oregon, some floodplains affected by human interference are being restored to manage climate issues. And restoration projects are happening in California too. Dos Rios Ranch Preserve is a restored floodplain in the state’s Central Valley. The region has been affected by drought and flooding, but the restoration is helping to mitigate the effects of extreme weather on the landscape. Jake Bittle is a staff writer at Grist. He’s reported on these issues for the outlet and joins us with details of the story and what bigger lessons can be learned from the project.

The Portland Thorns have a new owner. Meritt Paulson sold to RAJ Sports, the sister and brother company that owns other franchises, including a stake in the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. The sale was more than a year in the making and came after years of investigations and reports of sexual harassment and abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League and the Thorns specifically.

Other changes for the Portland team are in the offing, with the seasonal draft just around the corner. The team already lost two players in the December expansion draft due to a couple of new teams in the league: Bay FC in San Jose and the Utah Royals near Salt Lake City. We learn more about what new ownership will mean and the impact of draft changes from Associated Press sports reporter Anne Peterson and Gabby Rosas, chair of the Rose City Riveters and 107IST president.

On December 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. The landmark law has prevented 99% of animals and plants listed as threatened or endangered under its protection from going extinct, including the bald eagle, humpback whale and Florida manatee. But despite its success as a conservation tool, the ESA is not without its limitations and no longer has the bipartisan level of Congressional support it once enjoyed decades ago. Michelle Nijhuis is a contributing editor at High Country News and the author of “Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction.” She recently wrote about the ESA for High Country News and joins us to talk about its success, limitations and the important role state agencies also play in wildlife conservation amid a changing climate. 

Oregon and its child welfare system have been in and out of court since 2019, defending against a class action lawsuit on behalf of every child in foster care. The national advocacy group A Better Childhood and Disability Rights Oregon are pushing for adequate facilities and support and an end to the trauma they say kids suffer in state custody. Similar lawsuits have been brought in other states, including Tennessee, which implemented reforms following a settlement that resulted in improved outcomes for the children and youth in its care. A trial date is set for May in the Oregon case, and another round of settlement talks is scheduled for next week. We’ll get an update from the lead attorney in the case and the director of A Better Childhood, Marcia Robinson Lowry.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is managing a budget shortfall of about $32 million. Meanwhile, traffic deaths in Portland remain high with about 68 deaths recorded for last year, according to PBOT’s preliminary data. We hear more from Millicent Williams, the director of PBOT, on the agency’s future and managing traffic safety in the city. 

Portland musician Jimmie Herrod has sung in many different kinds of venues for a variety of performances. He’s been a guest vocalist with Portland-based Pink Martini since 2017. He was a finalist on "America's Got Talent" in 2021, and his past shows include performances with numerous symphonies, including the Oregon Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra. But his upcoming show with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony is a unique performance. The program consists of orchestral arrangements done in collaboration with youth composers for six of his original songs: Are You Lonely, Beautiful, I Love You, I Want To Run, Mouche, and Willow Bed. MYS trombone player and composer Elaina Stuppler arranged I Love You with only a rough recording Herrod made for her on his phone. Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas facilitated the unique project, which will be performed on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at the Newmark Theatre in Portland. He joins us in studio, along with Herrod and Stuppler, to talk about the creative process and bring us a sneak peak of the show.

Ben Hoffman is the first Oregon doctor to serve as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 84 years. A professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, Hoffman has worked to promote injury prevention policies and advocacy training for pediatric residents. He joins us in studio to talk about his new role and what he sees as the biggest issues in children’s health care nationwide.

A fire ripped through the Portland Mercado food court early Wednesday morning. Vendors there are currently closed so that the damage can be fully assessed. The location has been a hub for Latino communities and featured food from countries including Mexico and Columbia. Hacienda Community Development Corporation owns the space. Ernesto Fonseca is the CEO of the organization. He joins us with details of the fire and what this means for the future of the Mercado.