Education & STEM: North Greene High School chemistry teacher Olivia Kuper was named a Society for Science 2026–27 Advocate Leader, earning a $5,000 stipend to mentor students doing original research. Public Safety: A suspect was taken into custody after threatening 911 calls in Sedro-Woolley, with police evacuating a business and using crisis negotiators and SWAT. Fire Response: A major pallet fire near Umatilla injured a firefighter and destroyed a pallet business after a propane tank explosion damaged firefighting vehicles. Food Insecurity: Oregon families are facing rising hunger as SNAP cuts and higher grocery costs push more people to food banks with “empty freezers.” Health Care & Medicaid: OHSU research says Medicaid behavioral health care for youth is increasingly shaped by a small set of large managed-care firms, with care patterns varying by company. Housing: Willamette View plans to break ground on a new 92-unit senior living building near Milwaukie, targeting completion in December 2028. Politics & Transparency: Crook County Fair Board records show a private “Funding Committee” met to discuss spending $1 million in state grant money, raising public meetings law questions. Gun Policy Backlash: New research on Oregon’s Measure 114 finds firearm background checks spiked after the 2022 vote and stayed elevated months later. Wildlands: The Trump administration moves to rescind the Roadless Rule, opening large areas of national forests to logging and roadbuilding, with public comment set to run into September.