Warm Springs seat on the Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District board filled for the first time in decades

Warm Springs seat on the Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District board filled for the first time in decades

The Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District [https://www.jeffswcd.org/] helps manage irrigation, soil erosion, water quality and other factors that impact the health of the county’s watersheds. It’s supposed to be overseen by a seven-member board [https://www.jeffswcd.org/our-board], but until recently, one seat had remained vacant for more than 30 years.      Alysia Klick’ump was recently appointed to the board as an associate director for Zone 1, which covers the Warm Springs reservation. She joins us to talk about her role and the perspective she adds to the board as a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and fly fishing guide [https://littleleafguides.com/littleleaf-guides].

Licensing fees could double for Oregon’s psilocybin service centers and facilitators

The Oregon Health Authority is considering doubling license fees [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/06/oregon-psilocybin-annual-fee-hike-proposal/] for the state’s psilocybin service providers. The draft rules [https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/Pages/Psilocybin-Administrative-Rules.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery] would also eliminate discounts for nonprofit service centers and facilitators who are veterans or qualify as low-income. A third of Oregon’s psilocybin service centers have already closed [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/22/think-out-loud-oregon-licensed-psilocybin/] since OHA began issuing licenses in 2023.   Cathy Jonas, the founder and CEO of EPIC Healing Eugene [https://www.epichealingeugene.com/], joins us to share what the proposed changes could mean for her center. We’ll also check in with Angie Allbee, manager of the Psilocybin Services Section [https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/preventionwellness/pages/oregon-psilocybin-services.aspx] at OHA, about the future of Oregon’s first-in-the-nation program.

Astoria City Council’s new camping proposal goes into effect at the same time it's downtown shelter may close

People experiencing homelessness in Astoria will have to abide by new camping codes going into effect Wednesday, July 15. The changes to the camping codes make it illegal for people to camp knowingly on public property if they have access to “reasonable shelter,” which will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The code also provides exemptions depending on someone’s circumstances. At the same time, Clatsop County budget and funding formula changes  mean one of the city’s low-barrier shelters, LiFEBoat, will be seeing major cuts that could lead to a reduction in services and even closure. Osarch Orak is the executive director of the shelter. He joins us to share more on what these camping code changes mean for the nonprofit and the people they serve.

Multnomah County Sheriff’s office still using solitary confinement too often, says auditor’s report

In 2022, the Multnomah county auditor looked into the jails run by the county sheriff’s office. The audit [https://multco.us/file/jail_conditions_audit_report/download] found that adults in custody who were Black or had mental health conditions were disciplined and put in isolation or solitary confinement more often. That audit made several recommendations, but a new report [https://multco.us/info/recommendation-status-evaluation-jail-conditions] says the sheriff’s office has not implemented the recommendations related to the use of solitary confinement. While the sheriff’s office did not include a response to this report, a public information officer told OPB that their operations were grounded in best practices, and that the auditor’s office refused their request to meet before the report was released. The sheriff’s office also said that “a decision to not adopt a specific recommendation does not diminish our commitment to providing exemplary public safety services.”

What’s the latest on Moda Center funding?

A Moda Center deal is in the works, and the Portland City Council will vote in just a few weeks to decide if it will spend public money on a renovation. But details are hazy about where exactly the funding would come from.   Mayor Keith Wilson and city councilors have suggested they’ll draw upon city revenue streams such as the Portland Clean Energy Fund and a fund within Prosper Portland, the city’s urban development agency. But the boards that govern those sets of funding would first have to determine if their revenue can be spent on the arena.   It’s just the latest in a long saga that has involved negotiations between the Trail Blazers and city officials to keep the team in Portland and meet demands for renovations.   Alex Zielinski covers Portland politics for OPB. She joins us to break down the latest  updates.