Since the Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling in late June, which ruled that cities are now able to ban camping or sleeping in public spaces, local governments have been navigating how to handle this new power. For years, Deschutes County has battled with the Oregon Department of State Lands on a pending land swap between county-owned lands and the state. In 2022, the state required that the county clear homeless encampments on county property before making any deals. Now, as Clayton Franke from the Bend Bulletin reports, Deschutes County commissioners are in disagreement about how to address homelessness and these encampments after the Supreme Court ruling. Franke joins to share more.

For the past two weeks, North Fork John Day Watershed Council has been hard at work helping people in and around Long Creek fight fires on their property and deal with the damage done by the flames. The Battle Mountain Complex and Courtrock fires have impacted residents living in rural parts of the state, which have not been serviced by firefighting teams as quickly as other areas, leaving landowners to fight fires by themselves. Kristen Walz, the executive director of North Fork John Day Watershed Council, joins us to share more about her group’s efforts during this particularly harsh and early wildfire season. 

Last week, researchers from Oregon State University documented two shark species in Puget Sound for the first time. They found a broadnose sevengill shark and the critically endangered tope shark. The presence of these large predators in the sound may mean that the ecosystem is changing to fit the needs of the sharks, which could have other effects. Taylor Chapple, assistant professor and head of the Big Fish Lab at OSU, joins us to share more about his team’s findings.

Cheatgrass and other invasive species are threatening important rangelands and helping fuel severe wildfires in Eastern Oregon. Lisa Ellsworth is an associate professor and range ecologist at the college of agricultural sciences at Oregon State University. She joins us to explain how these areas have been affected by invasive species, extreme wildfires and human activity and what that means for the future of a crucial Western ecosystem.

A food pantry located in the center of Talent, Oregon was forced to close earlier this year. It was located in Talent’s old town hall and was easily accessible to residents. A fire broke out at the location and organizers of the pantry are working on finding a new spot. Access, the agency behind the service, operates mobile pantries throughout Jackson County. We check in on what’s next for Talent with Marcee Champion, the food programs director for Access.

Washington voters have some high profile races on their primary ballots this week. Governor Jay Inslee, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Congressman Derek Kilmer are not seeking reelection. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will try to hold on to her seat in the state's 3rd District. In addition, attorney general, public lands commissioner and insurance commissioner are all open seats. Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay joins us to preview Washington’s top-two primary election.

Whether you attended Taylor Swift's Eras Tour or took a trip to a Disney park this summer, you may not realize there is an Oregon connection between the two. Michael Curry Design is a creative studio in Scappoose that has crafted puppets, stage pieces and more for a variety of venues. From artist tours to theatrical productions, the creatives at MCD have left their mark on stages and performances not just across the country, but around the world. Michael Curry is the founder, president and owner of MCD. Charles Babbage is the lead art director. They join us to share more on their work.

The Great Oregon Steam-Up in Brooks has been showcasing antique machinery every summer since 1969. The machines on display can be as large as a crane or as small as a coffee grinder. Visitors can also watch demonstrations of sawmilling and threshing equipment, participate in a parade of steam-powered vehicles and ride miniature trains and trolleys.

Michelle Duchateau is the president of Powerland Heritage Park, which organizes the Steam-Up. She joins us to talk about this year’s festival and what’s kept visitors coming back for more than 50 years.

Low-head dams likely wouldn't catch the attention of a person floating down a river on a paddle board or inner tube. The unassuming structures can have drops as low as 1 foot, appearing as little more than a smooth bump in otherwise calm waters. But the continuous motion of water over the top of the dam creates a dangerous vortex at its base. As recently reported in the Register Guard, the churn can trap swimmers, kayakers and others recreating in the water, earning them the nickname “drowning machines.”

Haleigh Kochanski covers breaking news and public safety for the Register-Guard. She joins us with more details about these dams and the dangers they present.

“Herding cats” may be shorthand for an impossible task, but according to Monique Udell, Director of the  Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, cats can be trained. We’ll hear what she’s learning about the relationship between cats and people, and how they can each improve each other’s lives.