Willamette Wake Up

Girlypop Politics talks with Salem Keizer Schools Superintendent Andrea Castañeda about the district's new reading curriculum. They discuss the benefits of "Into Reading," how the district has been preparing teachers to teach it, and best ways parents can help their children be better readers.

Find out how "Salem Rolls Forward", led by high school students Saili & Emma, would provide an accessible playground feature for kids in wheelchairs at a local park in Salem.  Learn how the project originated and how the community can help make it happen.

Hear from leaders in the City of Independence about the journey that led the city to close parks in September, even after passing a fee increase in June to keep them open, and how voters in November will have a say in the matter. Listen to the conversation with Mayor Kate Schwarzler, City Manager Kenna West and Andrea Van Heeswyk with Friends of Community Parks.

Conservation Spotlight explores "Connected Habitat," a new program through Polk Soil & Water Conservation District, aimed at anyone who wants to create a better habitat for wildlife - from backyards to farms to forests. Guests Jessica Wright and Izzy Mason, with the Polk SWCD tells you how to get started.

Monmouth Monthly talks with Jessica Steed about the upcoming Smith Fine Arts 2026-27 series that starts Sept 24th. They also share how the series is expanding by incorporating additional jazz performances and some lectures.

Dr. Jillian Gregg, Oregon State University's Crop & Soil Science Department and founding CEO of Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates, explains how climate scientists are pushing for climate models to include natural emissions (e.g. methane emissions from permafrost melts) for their models to better predict climate changes.

Hyper scale or A.I. data centers are getting a lot of scrutiny from communities in many states.  A recent push by Verrus to site a center in Salem Oregon brought out hundreds to a city council meeting to oppose it. Hear from a few Oregonians, including the governor, calling for the legislature to put a three-year moratorium on data centers at rally in front of the State Capitol in Salem on September 8, 2026.

Policy for the People explores what’s happened in states that have cut income taxes while increasing their reliance on sales taxes, with Alexandra Sirota of North Carolina’s Budget and Tax Center. 

Girlypop Politics talks with Holly Scheifelbien, biology instructor at Chemeketa Community College, about what it looks like to be part of a faculty in higher education in the world of Artificial Intelligence. 

Willamette Block Party reflects on favorite moments from the year with a compilation of powerful conversations on grace, healing, identity, and building access where there wasn't any. Featuring Rod Stanley, Dr. Jumesha Wade, Glitter Gloria, Sarah Arbuckle, Janique Crenshaw, Arjay Mendiola, and Juli Ray.