Think Out Loud

‘Light of Day’ memoir tells story of Portland family’s heartbreaking struggle with childhood cancer

Portland author Lorna MacKinnnon Day has written a new memoir about her son’s diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer when he was 9 years old. “Light of Day,” details the ways her family navigated six years of his treatment for Ewing sarcoma. After his death, she founded the Sam Day Foundation, which advocates for funding childhood cancer research and supports the families of children living with cancer. Nationally, only 4% of federal cancer research money goes toward childhood cancer, according to the Pediatric Research Foundation. This year the Sam Day Foundation and Oregon Health & Science University secured a $3.17 million research grant to fund pediatric cancer research. MacKennon Day joins us to share more about her son Sam and her own experience in his fight to both survive and live well.

Warm Springs radio station KWSO keeping community up to date with latest on wildfires

Oregon’s wildfires have now burned an estimated 1.8 million acres so far. Dozens of large fires [https://www.opb.org/wildfires/] are continuing to burn, many only partially contained. The Confederate Tribes of the Warm Springs reservation in North Central Oregon is at risk [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/30/wildfires-oregon-weather-fire-big-grass-rowe-creek/] from the Bench fire [https://centraloregonfire.org/2026/07/29/bench-fire-july-29-2026/] in the area. The KWSO radio station [https://kwso.org/] located inside the reservation is playing a critical role in helping the community stay informed about fire risks and evacuation orders. Station Manager Sue Matters joins us with the latest.

Surfing webcams help researchers better understand fog on the Oregon Coast

Fog is a constant presence on the Oregon Coast, but it can be difficult to measure and track. In a recent study, researchers used webcams [https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/surfing-webcams-help-demystify-oregons-coastal-fog] that are normally used to check surfing conditions to get a better picture of when and where fog forms and dissipates.    The team analyzed images from six cameras stretching from Cannon Beach to Yaquina Head and compared them with data from a visibility sensor at the Newport Municipal Airport that measures fog. They found that while fog was often patchy and rapidly shifting between camera sites, the airport sensor still provided a reliable picture of average fog frequency along the coast.   Sonya Rauschenbach is a graduate student in atmospheric science at UC Davis and the lead author of the study. She joins us with more details.

Disability Rights Oregon sues Portland, Multnomah County over lack of emergency planning for people with disabilities

Disability Rights Oregon filed a lawsuit [https://www.droregon.org/releases/simeone-v-city-of-portland] Tuesday alleging that Portland and Multnomah County “fail to protect people with disabilities before, during and after disasters.” It argues that the city and county’s emergency management systems — from alerts and warnings to evacuation assistance and shelter accommodations — are out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.    For more on the lawsuit, we’re joined by Jake Cornett, the executive director and CEO of Disability Rights Oregon, and Audra Pearson, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

New effort aims to expand pharmacy access in Oregon’s rural and frontier communities

Earlier this month, the Pharmacy Foundation of Oregon [https://oregonpharmacy.org/news/731473/5-Million-State-Award-Targets-Oregons-Pharmacy-Deserts-Where-Patients-Drive-Hours-for-a-Refill.htm]announced it was awarded more than $5 million from the Oregon Health Authority to expand pharmacy access in rural and frontier communities.     The need is particularly acute in Oregon [https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/05/oregon-pharmacy-closures-limited-access/]. According to an analysis by AP in 2024 using data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, Oregon has the second fewest retail pharmacies per capita in the nation. Pharmacy closures can be particularly hard for patients in rural areas who may have to drive hours to the next available pharmacy to fill their prescriptions.    To help this population, PFO will use the OHA funds to install secure lockers in Burns, Baker City, Gold Beach and other locations for patients to pick up their prescriptions. The nonprofit will also roll out a prescription delivery service staffed with a community health worker who is also a bilingual pharmacy technician to serve customers in Heppner, John Day, La Grande and other locations. PFO is also hoping to launch a telepharmacy service where a pharmacist would be available for video consultations with patients and would be able to remotely supervise a technician as medications are dispensed.   Brian Mayo is the executive director of the Oregon State Pharmacy Association and the Pharmacy Foundation of Oregon. Ann Murray is a pharmacist and the co-owner of Murray’s Drug, an independent, family-owned pharmacy with locations in Heppner, Condon and Boardman. Murray and Mayo join us to discuss the OHA grant and the challenges facing pharmacies and the rural communities they serve.