Think Out Loud Oregon Public Broadcasting

Author David Grann often writes about obsession. His stories feature people doing extraordinary, and often dangerous or morally questionable things, in pursuit of ambitious goals. He’s the author of the books “Lost City of Z,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and his newest, “The Wager.” Grann is also obsessive about the research and details he puts into his books. We talk to Grann in front of a group of students at Nelson High School in Happy Valley.

A new sport could be coming to schools across Oregon. At the beginning of this school year the Oregon School Activities Association voted to make boys volleyball an emerging sport, meaning that it has the potential to become an official sport through OSAA. But how does boys volleyball differ from the girls version of the sport? And how much interest has the game had in schools? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by Emily Kernen, the head volleyball coach for the boys team and the freshman girls team at Bend High School. We’ll also hear from two players she coaches, senior Justin Seung and junior Will Albert.

Earlier this month, the body of a juvenile gray whale was found washed onto a beach in Bandon on the Southern Oregon coast. Bite marks on the body suggested it was likely killed by orcas, which hunt gray whales. Typically, reports of a beached whale would trigger a response from government officials to authorize the collection of samples to determine the cause of death.

But in this case, officials at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department went one step further. Realizing the cultural significance of this discovery, they alerted the Coquille Indian Tribe, whose ancestral lands span the Southern Oregon coast. According to Tribal Chair Brenda Meade, “within an hour or so” about 50 Tribal members had assembled at the beach to take claim of this “gift” and honor it with an intergenerational ceremony that included prayer and song. Meade shares details from that special day on the beach, and how the whale continues to provide sustenance for the Coquille Indian Nation on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its recognition by the federal government. 

Teachers and classified staff at Gresham High School recently held a vote of no confidence against school leadership and called for the removal of Principal Erika Whitlock. The vote follows what teachers have described as two years of growing disciplinary concerns, including students skipping class, bringing weapons to school and getting into increasingly violent fights. It also comes as the union continues to negotiate its contract with the district.

Christopher Keizur is an associate editor and reporter for the Gresham Outlook. He’s been covering this issue, and joins us with more details.

Salem voters appear to have elected a new mayor. Julie Hoy, a restaurant owner and Salem city council member, appears to have defeated incumbent Chris Hoy, although he still has yet to concede. Julie Hoy holds a 12-point lead in the race, according to primary election returns posted on the Oregon Secretary of State’s website Friday morning. The two Hoys are unrelated. 

According to the Salem Reporter, Julie Hoy raised nearly $300,000 - a record for a Salem mayoral race - mainly from businesses and real estate groups to help defeat the incumbent mayor who backed a payroll tax measure which voters overwhelmingly rejected last year. Salem Mayor-elect Julie Hoy joins us to talk about her vision for leading Oregon’s second-largest city and priorities when she takes office in January.

Wildland firefighters across the West now have access to a large network of cameras monitored by AI to alert them to wildfires when they start.  University of Oregon’s Oregon Hazards Lab, along with collaborators at other universities, have partnered with the company ALERTWest to monitor the cameras 24/7. When an algorithm detects smoke or fire, an operations center will be alerted, and dispatchers will then alert the appropriate fire manager. Doug Toomey, director of OHAZ, will join us to discuss how this system will help in the fight against wildfires.