Joni Auden Land

‘It’s just so intense’: Portland convention celebrates haunting art of shape note singing Sacred Harp singers say they build community by singing 19th-century songs about death and the afterlife.

Hundreds of singers gathered recently for the 34th Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention. They’re performing one of the oldest styles of American folk music, called shape note singing.

Families leave Portland Catholic school after it removed student with same-sex parents Catholic schools across Portland have declined to confirm how many students have left St. Agatha — and how many students they have at all.

It’s been more than a month since St. Agatha Catholic School first made news for rescinding the enrollment of a student with same-sex parents. Since then, several parents have pulled their children out of the school, because of the decision of Rev. Luan Tran, the priest at St. Agatha.

Historic 173-year-old Oregon cemetery finally opens to the public The Christilla Pioneer Cemetery in Happy Valley has been maintained by a small group of families for generations. Now, the city and charities are stepping in to help preserve its future.

One family has maintained a historic pioneer cemetery in Happy Valley for more than 170 years.

And in an effort to save it, it's finally open to the public.

Historic 173-year-old Oregon cemetery finally opens to the public The Christilla Pioneer Cemetery in Happy Valley has been maintained by a small group of families for generations. Now, the city and charities are stepping in to help preserve its future.

Opening up a pioneer cemetery to the public is such a beautiful act of trust. Great stuff here from @joniaudenland.bsky.social www.opb.org/article/2025...

*Mark Collins

St. Helens High School leaders failed to act on claims of abuse for years, report finds OPB obtained the records after months of appealing the local district attorney’s office.

OPB's legal team wins again! After months of opposing the release of a third-party investigation into sexual abuse at St. Helens High School, that report is now public thanks to OPB.

Also @koin6.bsky.social, it's professional courtesy to acknowledge how you got the records for your story, especially when you're citing a document that mentions OPB's appeal several dozen times.

Without the help of OPB attorney Jon Bial, this report would not have been released to the public.

St. Helens High School leaders failed to act on claims of abuse for years, report finds OPB obtained the records after months of appealing the local district attorney’s office.

BREAKING: A report from the St. Helens School District found that high school leaders failed to act on years of reports of inappropriate behavior by Eric Stearns and Michael Collins. The specific findings in here are stunning to read.

OPB obtained this report after months of appeals.

Flat Fire triggers evacuations in Central Oregon Evacuations were expanded Saturday as the fire moved toward the outskirts of Sisters in Deschutes County.

The Flat Fire continued to threaten communities in Deschutes and Jefferson counties over the weekend. The blaze started Thursday evening and had grown to more than 18,000 acres with 0% containment as of Saturday evening.

Christian revival event draws thousands in quest to save Portland’s soul The Portland metro area has one of the lowest rates of religious affiliation in the country, according to the Pew Research Center, but low church attendance is nothing new for the area.

For nearly a century, evangelists have come to Portland to spread their faith in a city known for its lack of religion. The leader of a West Linn megachurch is the latest, with the PDX Crusade event at the Moda Center.

Thousands are marching in Portland for the #NoKings protest. It has remained peaceful and there’s been a minimal police presence

Facing federal closures, Job Corps students and staff in Astoria weigh their futures After the Department of Labor announced the closure of Tongue Point Job Corps Center last week, students were notified they only had a few days to leave the campus where they lived.

At the Tongue Point Job Corps center in Astoria, hundreds of students and staff face an uncertain future after the Department of Labor announced it would pause the program.

When I went to Astoria yesterday, most students had already left.
www.opb.org/article/2025...

Oregon swimmer braves a 5-mile swim across the Columbia River — and her own trauma Peyton Scott's first foray into open water swimming became not only a physical battle, but also a reckoning with the traumas from her youth.

Here's the original story:
www.opb.org/article/2024...

OPB wins three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in digital and broadcast journalism The awards highlight OPB’s reporting on broad range of Pacific Northwest subjects

Really honored to win a regional Murrow Award for Excellence in Sound. It was one of the best audio stories I've done so far, and I'm really proud with how far my radio skills have progressed.

www.opb.org/pressroom/op...

This has been updated with the radio story as well ☝️

Ukrainians in Portland celebrate Easter amid war and immigration worries St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church has seen its membership spike since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. But many members don't know how long they will be able to stay in the U.S.

ICYMI: Ukrainians in Portland celebrated Easter, as their community contends with a war abroad and newfound immigration concerns in the U.S.

An immigration attorney told me “there’s a lot of uncertainty and panic about this."
www.opb.org/article/2025...

Ukrainians in Portland celebrate Easter amid war and immigration worries St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church has seen its membership spike since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. But many members don't know how long they will be able to stay in the U.S.

The federal crackdown on immigration has led to concern among Ukrainians fleeing war at home that their legal status in the U.S. could be in jeopardy.

How new Multnomah County data explains the region’s homelessness crisis A new trove of data on Multnomah County’s homeless population dropped this week, offering the public an updated and more accurate understanding of the region’s homelessness crisis.

-26% more ppl are homeless in Multnomah County than last year (Could be based on better data collection)

-Ppl are entering homelessness at a pace far higher than those leaving homelessness

-County-run alt shelters are most effective at moving ppl into permanent housing

www.opb.org/article/2025...

‘Exercise in inanity’: For hundreds of laps, Ladds 500 is Portland’s most whimsical ride Each year, the Ladds 500 sees hundreds of riders circling the famed center of Ladd's Addition in Southeast Portland. The goal is to reach 500 laps, but organizers say that's not what attracts so many ...

The Ladds 500 was incredibly fun to cover yesterday. Certainly the most "Portland" event I've been to so far.

www.opb.org/article/2025...

After a muted start, Oregon erupts in resistance to Trump’s second term with a groundswell of protests Oregon alone saw dozens of protests, from small towns to large cities. All voiced frustration with President Donald Trump's administration, particularly his recent tariffs on foreign countries and his...

For protesters, organizers and law enforcement, it was hard to not think of 2020 during the Hands Off protests this past weekend.

But these protests were distinct in several ways.
opb.org/article/2025...

Photos: See demonstrators around the country rally in 'Hands Off!' protests NPR member station photographers documented what they saw at the demonstrations against the Trump administration, from cuts and layoffs to federal departments, to mass deportations.

Nice to see my photos for OPB included in @npr.org's roundup of yesterday's protests: www.npr.org/sections/the...

Several thousand protesters in Portland rally for ‘Hands Off’ day of action against Trump and Musk policies In Oregon alone, dozens of “Hands Off” events are planned, from Gold Beach to Astoria, to Hood River, Enterprise, Redmond and Klamath Falls.

Here's our story on today's protests across Oregon. Big turnouts in cities across the state.

www.opb.org/article/2025...

More than 100 Oregon and Washington ‘Hands Off’ protest events planned during national day of action In Oregon alone, dozens of “Hands Off” events are planned, from Gold Beach to Astoria, to Hood River, Enterprise, Redmond and Klamath Falls.

OPB will have reporters across the state today to cover what's anticipated to be the largest set of protests since Trump took office for his second term.

Lots of people telling me they think this protest is larger than Portland’s Women’s March in 2016

I’m on the Morrison Bridge in Portland where thousands of protesters are marching. The bridge is completely closed to traffic, as people protest President Trump’s administration

Oregon DHS opens sexual abuse investigation into former spokesman Gene Evans The investigation comes days after OPB published an investigation into decades-old claims of sexual abuse against Evans, all from his time as a teacher at St. Helens High School in the 1980s.

A few days ago, @joniaudenland.bsky.social helped past victims of former St. Helens High School teacher Gene Evans tell their stories of alleged abuse from the 1980s.

Now, Oregon's Department of Human Services - Evans' former employer - is investigating him.

He looks like he has very specific opinions on high yield savings accounts

Former students say a St. Helens High teacher abused them in the 1980s. He became a face of child welfare in Oregon In interviews with OPB, former St. Helens High School students say teachers have crossed lines for decades. A teacher who allegedly had a sexual relationship with a student in the 1980s later represen...

(11/12) Read the full story:

Last November, police arrested a working St. Helens High School teacher and a recently retired one. The charges: second-degree sexual abuse. The victims: students at the high school. (1/12)