Think Out Loud

Marshfield High School in Coos Bay is one of just 6 schools across the state that has its own commercial radio station. Students learn how to speak on the air, record underwriting spots, cue up song lists, and even announce live sports games. Eli Luckman, a sophomore at Marshfield, took the broadcasting class last year and was inspired to start his own sports podcast. We talk to Luckman and Drew Jones, the broadcast journalism instructor.

Earlier this summer, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission formally agreed to give the Coquille Tribe more power to manage fish and wildlife in a large area of southwest Oregon. We talk to Brenda Meade, chair of the Coquille Tribal Council, about the historic nature of that agreement, and what it means to the tribe.

Oregon Health & Science University researchers explored counseling as a tool to prevent obesity for women aged 40-60, also referred to as their “midlife.” Obesity is a common condition for women in this group and counseling may be an effective way to prevent it. We learn more from Amy Cantor, an associate professor at OHSU and the lead researcher on the study, on how women can benefit from these discussions.

In Coos Bay, homelessness is a growing concern for residents, with some saying it is impacting every facet of their life. Last year, Coos County reported eight deaths of people experiencing homelessness within a two month period. Tara Johnson is the executive director of the Devereux Center, a local homeless shelter. She joins us to share what is happening in the community and what she is seeing at her shelter.

A recent study found that Coos Bay is expected to grow by more than 1,300 residents over the next two years. The study also highlighted that while all forms of housing are needed, the greatest need is for more affordable homes and rentals. Drew Farmer is a member of Coos Bay City Council. He joins us to share what housing currently looks like in the city and what the city is doing to address its housing needs.

Two years ago, high east winds ripped through huge parts of a bone-dry western Oregon, fanning existing flames and sparking new blazes. So Oregonians had plenty of reasons to be fearful heading into this past weekend when all of those same elements were in play. But while fires did increase, and many Oregonians had to evacuate, we did not have a true reprise of Labor Day, 2020. Andrew Phelps is the director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. He joins us to talk about what did -- and didn’t -- happen.

Part memoir, part investigative journalism, Portland journalist Casey Parks’ new book, “Diary of a Misfit,” explores themes of religion, identity and family as she embarks on a mission to find a figure from her grandmother's past. As a child, Parks’ grandmother lived across the street from a “woman who lived as a man.” His name was Roy Hudgins.

Hudgins was many things. He was a country singer, a landscaper, a devout believer and a friend to some. Park’s book follows her decade-long journey on uncovering who Roy was as she explores not only his past but her own. Parks joins us to share what she learned about Roy and what it meant to be queer in the South.

Elk hunting season started late last month and with it came new changes for bow hunters in Oregon. These changes were proposed last year by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, but did not go into effect until the start of the archery elk season this year.

Before the change, bow hunters operated on a general system, meaning they could purchase tags anytime during the season and were guaranteed a chance to hunt. Now, archers wanting to hunt elk in the Northeast part of the state will be operating on a controlled hunt, where hunters apply for a number of hunting spots deemed sustainable depending on where they’d like to be. While some areas in Oregon were already under a controlled hunt system, these changes expanded some of those to neighboring regions. Jeremy Thompson is the Wildlife Biologist for the Mid-Columbia District at ODFW. Mike Slinkard is a Bow Hunter in John Day. They both join us to share what these changes mean for Oregon bow hunters.

Latino Fest will be held in Madras on Saturday. The event, hosted by the Latino Community Association, features live music, food and cultural booths representing countries across Latin America. Hilda León is a leadership coordinator with the Latino Community Association and an emcee of the event. She joins us with details and explains why the event is special to her

Portland Freedom Fund began in the wake of the racial justice protests in the summer of 2020. Organizers focused on helping low-income, BIPOC defendants post bail. They also want to bring attention to the racial inequities embedded in the cash bail system more broadly. The group came under fire recently after a defendant who they’d helped allegedly killed the mother of his children after being released. Terrence Hayes is on the board of the Portland Freedom Fund. He says the group will stay focused on its mission of helping people from BIPOC communities who are accused of crimes to get back to their families. The family of the woman killed is foremost in Hayes’ mind, and he says the group will be working more closely with the attorneys involved in defendants’ cases. Hayes joins us to talk more about the Portland Freedom Fund and about his own activism working for racial equity in the criminal justice system.